9 NPAs yield, surrender firearms to SAF
NINE members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in the Caraga region have surrendered to the government following talks with officers from the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Special Action Force or SAF last week, the Journal Group learned on Monday.
PNP-SAF Director Brigadier General Edgar Alan O. Okubo said that officers from the SAF’s 1st Special Action Battalion (SAB) led by Lieutenant Colonel Anthony B. Lozada spearheaded the negotiation with the rebels who are based in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
In a report to PNP Chief Gen. Rodolfo S. Azurin Jr., the PNP-SAF director said that the nine also turned over 12 assorted firearms and five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during their surrender.
Okubo said that following information given by the surrenderers, they also managed to exhume the skeletal remains of one “Ka Jelo” from a makeshift graveyard in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur.
“According to the information we received, ‘Ka Jelo’ was summarily executed by his former colleagues who suspected him of acting as a military informant,” the official said.
Okubo said the surrenderers have also revealed the location of other graveyards where suspected Army “assets” neutralized by the NPA were buried.
“We are set to exhume more victims in the coming days,” the official said. He added that they need to prepare for the exhumation project due to the distance and security threats in the area.
Officers from the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office under Col. Jovito C. Canlapan, the Army’s 401st Brigade under Col. Rommel B. Almaria, and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency 13 (NICA 13) under Director Harold B. Nacional also played a big role in convincing the guerrillas to yield.
The Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13), headed by Brig. Gen. Romeo M. Caramat Jr. is also providing full assistance to the PNP-SAF in its regional operations.
Okubo said that the nine were known for operating in the barangays of Segunda, Maliwanag, Bunaquit, Tagbalili, Sinakungan, Salug and Guibunon in Esperanza municipality during their active NPA days.
One of them, identified only as “Ka Reygan”, was described as an NPA platoon leader since 2019. He turned over one M-16 automatic rifle with two short magazines, two caliber .38 revolvers, and a CPP/NPA flag to authorities.
The 2nd, identified as “Ka Roy”, has been an NPA squad leader since 2007. He surrendered a cal. .38 revolver with six live ammunition.
The 3rd, “Ka Nak-nak” also yielded a .38 revolver while the 4th, “Ka Jojo”, surrendered a 12-gauge home-made shotgun. The two have been with the underground movement since 2013, the PNP-SAF learned.
The 5th, identified only as “Ka Dodong”, was also described as an NPA platoon leader who has been with the movement since 2007. He turned over a cal. .38 revolver.
On the other hand, the 6th, one alias “Ka Nikko”, joined the rebel movement in 2016. He yielded a cal. .38 revolver. The 7th, identified only as “Ka Jian”, also surrendered a .38 revolver. He joined the NPA in 2017.
The 8th, identified only as “Ka Nick”, joined the NPA movement in 2020 before surrendering an improvised cal. .22 rifle and a shotgun.
The last, “Ka Erick”, was also described as an NPA platoon leader since 2019. He surrendered an improvised shotgun with one steel magazine.
The PNP-SAF director said that the nine took their oath of allegiance to the government during ceremonies witnessed by Bayugan City Mayor Kirk A. Asis, Esperanza Mayor Deo P. Manpatilan Jr., and Michael Leo C. Torralba, the executive assistant to the Agusan del Sur governor.
Each of the nine surrenderers received initial P25,000 cash assistance from Mayor Asis.
