Twelve regular NPA members of Guerilla Front 68B and Sub Regional Sentro De Grabidad Wei of Sub Regional Command 4, Ace Company and Sub Regional Sentro De Gravidad Crackers of Sub Regional Command 5 both of North Central Mindanao Regional Committee surrendered with three (3) M16 rifles and two (2) AK47 rifles to 1st Special Forces Battalion on February 4, 2022.
The neutralization of the said NPA members is the enemy-centric effect of the 1st Special Forces Battalion’s precise intelligence operations, deep psychological operations, and relentless physical pressure through fierce firefights and deadly encounters since the beginning of 2021.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL VERCISIO G SAN JOSE JR, Battalion Commander of the 1st Special Forces Battalion, welcomed the 12 former rebels to the Battalion Headquarters at Brgy. Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon, and he said, “You have made the right decision to abandon the communist ideology and to peacefully surrender to the AFP. Further, we are ready to support you in availing the socio-economic programs and livelihood assistance prepared by our government. Moreover, it has been our mandate to decisively neutralize the elements of communist terrorist in our area of operations. Hence, we advise you to encourage your former comrades, who are still blindly fighting against our legitimate government, to peacefully surrender; or we will relentlessly hunt them down.”
BRIGADIER GENERAL FERDINAND T BARANDON, Commander of the 403rd Infantry Brigade, 4th Infantry Division gratefully received the 12 former rebels for choosing to seek refuge in the government. He stated, “These rebels have finally realized that they have been fighting meaninglessly for a hopeless cause which only brought them worthless sacrifice and bloodshed to the lives of the innocent civilians. We will help them to start a new life and to protect them in every way we can from the hypocritical leaders preaching the poisons of communist ideology.”
The former rebels have undergone custodial debriefing and legal processing of their documents in order to formally welcome them in the folds of the government. The LGU of Manolo Fortich have initiated the medical check-up of the said former rebels.
The 1st Special Forces Battalion remains in its thrust as liberators of the oppressed and champions of peace. Hence, the unit believes that it is everyone’s job to fight against the Communist Terrorists. We need to take the Whole of the Nation Approach as our guide to enjoin every sector of our society to unite and fight the insurgency that have been spreading in our communities for decades.
