BUTUAN CITY -- Three regular members of the New People’s Army (NPA), bearing their firearms, have returned to the folds of the law through the 29th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army.

These NPA members felt dismayed over their leaders' failure to fulfill their promises and let them suffer in the mountains.  

The love for their families motivated their voluntary surrender.

Alias ‘Zhia’, a high-ranking rebel in the NPA's North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee was one of those who surrendered together with alias ‘Jing’, her father, and alias ‘Dondon’.  

She was convinced by her mother to surrender and choose to live a peaceful life.

For alias ‘Dondon’, it was to provide a better life for his child that motivated him to surrender. “Life was really hard while we were hiding in the mountains. There were times where we had nothing to eat at all,” he recalled.

The military and the Philippine National Police (PNP) also discovered the decomposing cadaver of a certain Elmer Delarmente, vice commanding officer at Barangay Maraiging in the municipality of Jabonga. Delarmente was reportedly left dead by his comrades during an encounter.

Lieutenant Colonel Jason Saldua of the 29IB urged all other NPA members to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law.

“I am calling all the remaining members of the NPA to surrender to the folds of law. The 29IB will continue to help those who want to surrender and live a normal life in mainstream society,” said Saldua.

Meanwhile, the 23rd Infantry Battalion also recovered high-powered firearms and materials owned by the Communist Terrorist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) after a 20-minute encounter at Sitio Tud-ol, Barangay Tungao in Butuan City. (JPG/PIA-Caraga)