TACLOBAN CITY – The 8th Infantry Division declared that two alleged high-ranking leaders of the communist terrorist group (CTG) have voluntarily surrendered to authorities.
The division, based in Catbalogan City, identified them as alias ‘Leo/Omer/Lovely’, the former squad leader of Squad 2, sub-regional guerrilla unit (SRGU), and alias ‘Mael’, the former finance officer of P2, front committee 15.
Both belonged to the sub-regional committee (SRC) arctic of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) and surrendered to the 20th Infantry Battalion (20IB) based in Las Navas, Northern Samar, on August 17, 2024.
Lt. Col. Richard Villaflor, the commanding officer of the 20IB, attributed the surrender of these leaders to their ‘focused military operations’ and the local peace engagement initiatives of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, which is based in Catarman, Northern Samar.
“Due to the continuous implementation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), actively supported by local government units, stakeholders, and local chief executives in the area, the significant weakening of the CTG and their mass support is evident,” Villaflor said in a statement.
From July 1, 2022, to August 9, 2024, a total of 94 former members of the New People’s Army were killed, including 16 high-value individuals and 14 key leaders who have either surrendered, been apprehended, or were killed in ongoing military operations by the 8th ID.
The military also recovered 148 high- and low-powered firearms and seized 90 anti-personnel mines (APM).
Maj. Gen. Camilo Ligayo, the commanding general of the 8th ID, said that these developments underscore the military and government’s relentless efforts and commitment to restoring peace and security in the region.
“This demonstrates that the CTGs in the region are now leaderless and powerless. They continue to weaken and disintegrate as your Philippine Army persistently pursues them, ensuring that no one is left to bring violence to our communities,” he said in a statement.
Ligayo then urged the remaining active rebels to give up on their armed struggle and return to the fold of the law.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
