ILOILO CITY – A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) voluntarily surrendered to the Philippine Army’s 12th Infantry Battalion (12IB).
The surrenderer, identified only as alias “Renz,” was a former member of the Regional Sentro De Grabidad (RSDG) Madia-as Platoon, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay. He turned himself in to the 12IB, bringing with him an M14 rifle with a defaced serial number on March4.
According to the 12IB, the firearm previously belonged to alias “Todyo/Benjie,” another rebel who had earlier surrendered.
Lieutenant Colonel Vicel Jan Garsuta, commanding officer of the 12IB, said “Renz” decided to surrender due to fear for his safety following recent clashes between government forces and insurgents, which resulted in the deaths of several of his comrades.
Garsuta also revealed that “Renz” had initially surrendered in 2023 but was repeatedly approached by his former comrades, who convinced him to return.
“After his surrender in 2023, they kept coming back for him, using him as an errand man. But he feared being arrested by the police or the military, so he decided to turn himself in again,” Garsuta explained.
The 12IB continues to urge other communist rebels to lay down their arms and avail themselves of government reintegration programs, including the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and the Amnesty Program, which offer opportunities for a peaceful and productive transition back into society./PN