A TOTAL of 126 Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) members and supporters in the Calabarzon (Cavite/Laguna/Batangas/Rizal/Quezon) region on Wednesday turned themselves over to Police Regional Office (PRO) 4-A authorities and formally took their oath of allegiance to the government in simple ceremonies held on the same day the NPA marked its 54th founding anniversary.

The mass surrender of the CPP/NPA members and sympathizers was facilitated by officers from the PRO4-A Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) led by Lieutenant Colonel Agosto M. Asuncion, the Journal Group learned.

Brigadier Gen. Bellie B. Tamayo, deputy commander of the Area Police Command-Southern Luzon, PRO4-A director Brigadier General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., and Quezon Police Provincial Office (PPO) director were present during the mass surrender rites.

It also coincided with the blessing and inauguration of the Beacon Home for Camp Sakay Youth which was led by Assistant Secretary Dominique Rubia-Tutay, the assistant secretary for regional operations and Officer-in-Charge (OIC) undersecretary for the TUPAD program of the government.

A total of 60 Ganap na Kasapi and 66 Kandidatong Kasapi of the CPP-NPA surrendered to the PRO4-A authorities and turned over 17 assorted firearms, 12 explosives, 13 improvised explosive materials, and 111 rounds of various live ammunition during the occasion.

Asuncion said that the surrenderers are mostly regular members of the NPA Sub-Regional Military Area 4-A, 4-B, and 4-C operating in the Calabarzon region.

During the surrender rites, the 126 took their oath of allegiance to the government and signed a covenant renouncing their support to the communist terrorist group.

They also turned over their weapons and ammunition to the RMFB 4-A.

The 126 will receive livelihood grants from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), while another five will be getting government scholarships.

Two of the active NPA members, who were identified only as “Ka James” and “Ka Cheche” testified that they became active in staging anti-government protests, mobilizing labor unions, and doing patrol duties in their mountain hideouts.

The two said they “suffered from hunger” for a long time while in the mountains.

Rubia-Tutay said that the 126 are living testament to how the “whole-of-nation approach” in ending the communist armed conflict has succeeded.

“To all the government units who committed and actively participated in facilitating the community re-integration of our former rebels only shows that our government is serious to completely end this long-running communist rebellion in the country,” she said.

Asuncion encouraged the 26 to persuade their other comrades to yield peacefully and return to the mainstream of society.