The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Sunday that 326 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the military in January alone, an “unprecedented number” that a military spokesperson attributed to the Duterte administration’s call to return to government fold.
In a statement, Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, AFP public affairs chief, said one of the “noteworthy” surrenders was that of Gemma Quiroga, 35, of Davao Oriental.
Quiroga was a squad medic of the NPA in Davao Oriental and served as chairperson of Anakpawis, a leftist organization, in Mati City, Garcia said.
She surrendered to the 28th Infantry Battalion on Jan. 27.
In a separate interview, Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesperson, said that with the latest number communist insurgents it would still be too early to say that the government was on track in defeating the NPAs.
“It’s too early to say. But if this [trend] will continue, then we’re well within the [timeframe] to hit our target [to end insurgency],” Arevalo said.