By Alexander Lopez
BUTUAN CITY – Two members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered Saturday to the Philippine Army’s 1st Special Forces Battalion (1SFBn) in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.
In a statement on Monday, the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said the two are part of the remnants of NPA rebels operating in the hinterlands of Agusan del Sur and Bukidnon provinces.
The 4ID identified the surrenderers as Jhon Jhon Bokdawan Atipan, also known as Wowie and Doms, and Winalyn Lucdayan Saplidan, alias Marita.
Atipan is a member of NPA Squad 1, Headquarters Force NEO, while Saplidan operates under the NPA Ordnance Team of the Regional Operations Command (ROC), both of which are part of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).
The two surrenderers are now in the custody of the 1SFBn for documentation, validation, and assessment.
“They (surrenderers) will also undergo procedures to determine their eligibility for the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program,” the 4ID said.
Meanwhile, 4ID commander Major General Michele Anayron Jr. emphasized the continuing weakening of NPA influence in the Caraga Region and Northern Mindanao.
“The continuous weakening of NPA influence is due to the sustained military operations complemented by the whole-of-nation interventions that address the root causes of insurgency,” Anayron said in the same statement.
Last week, the top commander of the ROC-NCMRC, identified as Bonifacio Lutawan, was killed in an encounter with troopers from the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Kasapa II, La Paz, Agusan del Sur. (PNA)
