With the declaration of the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) by the Armed Forces of the Philippines, some members of the New People’s Army have successfully returned to the folds of the law.
According to the AFP, an NPA leader together with 8 of his troops recently surrendered to Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Umano. The rebels also turned-in high caliber firearms including an M60 machine gun.
Meanwhile, some rebels were foiled by their own comrades and failed to surrender to the government.
In Occidental Mindoro, some NPA members were recently on their way for a pre-arranged surrender to Lt. Col. Roger Percol, commander of the 80th Infantry Battalion when other members of the rebel group fired government forces.
Despite this incident, the AFP continues to observe the ceasefire agreement during the holidays. However the AFP shall remain prepared to address any untoward or violent incident that might be perpetrated by lawless group. (PIA-NCR/jeg)
