By Priam Nepomuceno

FIGHTING INSURGENTS. Officials of the Army’s 801st Infantry Brigade visit a remote military detachment in San Jose de Buan, Samar in this undated photo. The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday (June 2) said it has neutralized 660 New People’s Army rebels and their supporters from Jan. 1 to May 28 this year. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has neutralized a total of 660 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and their supporters from Jan. 1 to May 28 this year.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, in an interview on Tuesday afternoon, said the figure includes 574 who surrendered, 31 who were arrested, and 55 who were killed in various military operations nationwide.

In military terminology, “neutralized” refers to enemy combatants who have surrendered, been captured, or were killed during operations.

For the same period, Padilla said government forces also recovered 461 firearms, 114 anti-personnel mines, and dismantled 30 NPA encampments.

“Higit sa bilang ng mga na-neutralize at armas na nasamsam, mas mahalaga ang dami ng mga dating rebelde na piniling bumalik sa lipunan (More than the neutralized rebels and seized weapons, what is more important is the number of former rebels who choose to return to society),” she said.

Padilla emphasized that every rebel who surrenders represents an opportunity for a family to be reunited and for a former combatant to build a better future.

For the entire year of 2025, the AFP reported neutralizing 2,018 NPA rebels and supporters nationwide. Of the total, 1,798 surrendered, 93 were arrested, and 127 were killed in military operations.

The AFP also said 1,134 firearms and 531 anti-personnel mines were either seized or surrendered, and 149 NPA encampments were captured last year. (PNA)