By Priam Nepomuceno

CURBING INSURGENCY. The bodies of slain New People’s Army rebels during clashes in San Isidro village, Las Navas, Northern Samar on July 31, 2025. The military on Tuesday (Sept. 2) said 1,335 NPA rebels and supporters were either killed, captured or have surrendered to the government from Jan. 1 to Aug. 28, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Philippine Army)

MANILA – Over 1,300 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and their supporters were “neutralized” from Jan. 1 to Aug. 28 this year, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Neutralized,” in military parlance, refers to the surrender, capture, or death of enemy forces due to government pressure.

In a media briefing late Tuesday, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said of the total 1,335 “neutralized” NPA rebels and supporters, 1,163 surrendered to the government, 77 were arrested, and 95 were killed.

Padilla said 760 firearms and 360 anti-personnel mines were seized or surrendered by the rebels during the same period.

A total of 107 NPA encampments were also captured during the same period, she added.

Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier said the Marcos administration is committed to improving the lives of former rebels who have willingly chosen the path to peace.

Under the peace agenda of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., former communist insurgents can avail of the national government’s socio-economic projects as well as its amnesty program to address their legal concerns, enabling them to complete their transformative journey and successfully return to mainstream society.

In 2023, Marcos issued Proclamation No. 404 granting amnesty to the former members of the NPA, as well as of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front, who have committed crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code and Special Penal laws in furtherance of their political beliefs, among other offenses. (PNA)