7 NPAs, 10 more Dawlah, BIFF terrorists surrender in Central Mindanao

COTABATO CITY — Seven members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and 10 heavily armed violent religious extremists, including three experts in fabrication of homemade bombs, surrendered during separate rites in Maguindanao del Norte and South Cotabato provinces on Monday.

Major Gen. Jose Vladimir R. Cagara, commander of the Army’s 6^th Infantry Division (ID), told reporters on Tuesday that the seven NPAs together pledged allegiance to the government at the headquarters of the 38^th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Kablon in Tupi town in South Cotabato, in the presence of local executives and representatives from different state agencies.

The seven NPAs first turned in their firearms and improvised explosive devices and, subsequently, renounced their membership with the NPA before the commanding officer of the 38^th IB, Lt. Col. Erwin C. Felongco, Brig. Gen. Omar V. Orozco of the 1^st Mechanized Infantry Brigade. Also present were representatives from the local government unit of Tupi, the office of South Cotabato Governor Reynaldo S. Tamayo, Jr., the Department of Social Welfare and Development-12, the Local Amnesty Board-Koronadal City and the South Cotabato Provincial Police Office.

Mr. Cagara said the seven NPAs agreed to come out and surrender through the joint intercession of local executives and officials of the 38^th IB and the 1^st Mechanized Infantry Brigade.

A group of 10 terrorists from the Dawlah Islamiya and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) also returned to the fold of law on Monday and together promised to reform for good during a simple ceremony at the headquarters of the Army’s 1^st Brigade Combat Team in Barangay Pigkalagan in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte.

All 10 terrorists have assured to help convince the few remaining Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members to avail of the 6^th ID’s reconciliation program for violent religious extremists after they turned over to Army officials their improvised explosive devices, combat rifles, pistols, 40-millimeter and B40 anti-tank rocket launchers and two 60-millimeter mortars before they each committed to help the police and military maintain law and order.

Mr. Cagara said the 10 Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members yielded to Lt. Col. Florencio Zambo V. Taguba, commander of the 6^th Mechanized Battalion, and Col. Romeo S. Pagayon of the 1^st Brigade Combat Team after a series of backchannel dialogues assisted by Moro religious leaders and two provincial officials, Maguindanao del Norte Governor Tucao O. Mastura and Vice Governor Marshall I. Sinsuat.

Local executives provided all 10 of them with relief supplies and cash grants that they can spend for their needs while undergoing religious reorientation by Army Islamic theologians in preparation for their return to their hometowns in the adjoining Maguindanao del Norte and Maguindanao del Sur provinces in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The surrender on Monday of 10 more Dawlah Islamiya and BIFF members brought to 1,749 the total number of terrorists from both groups who have surrendered to units of the 6^th ID since 2021, all of them reintegrated into the local communities.

Units of 6^th ID in the region and local executives have also secured the surrender of 629 NPAs during the period. — John Felix M. Unson