2 NPA members, one of them pregnant, surrender in Sarangani province

DIGOS CITY — Two alleged members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), one of them a pregnant woman, surrendered to the 73rd Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army on Friday, May 1, a military official said on Sunday.

Lt. Col. Ronaldo G. Valdez, commander of the 73IB, identified one of the rebels as a certain Paul, a resident of Barangay Upper Suyan in Malapatan town of Sarangani. Valdez said Paul had been an officer of the Far South Mindanao Region (FSMR) of the NPA. He identified the pregnant woman as a certain Diane, resident of Barangay Lagao, General Santos City, who used to serve as a medical officer of the NPA’s FSMR.

Valdez said Paul surrendered a Garand rifle to the authorities.

He also said that Paul decided to surrender because he could no longer withstand the fatigue, hardship, the physical and psychological pressure inside the rebel group.

He also said Diane was “emotional” because she did not know how she would be able to give birth to her first-born child if she stayed with the rebel group.

“For seven months, she said she had not seen a doctor for a check-up. She also said if not because of the military, she wouldn’t know she would be having a baby girl,” the official said.

Valdez said Diane was also calling on her husband to surrender.