NPA Member Surrenders, Yields Firearms, Reunites with Family

MONTEVISTA, Davao de Oro - A member of WGF 33 surrendered to 25th Infantry Battalion and yields two (2) AK47 rifles, six (6) long magazines of AK47 rifle and more or less one thousand (1000) rounds of cartridge of 7.62mm at Barangay New Calape, Montevista, Davao de Oro today, 29 July 2020.

The said accomplishment was the result of a comprehensive debriefing of Intel Operatives of this unit, immersed Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (RPSB) and Community Support Program (CSP) in the area and with the significant help of Hon. Bobby C. Gogo, Barangay Chairman of Olaycon, Monkayo, Davao de Oro.

Alias Dondon, 61, was a member of WGF33, SRC4, SMRC who was recruited by the New People’s Army (NPA) last year, July 2019. After a year of leaving home, Dondon’s family never received any information about his whereabouts until he decided to call to Hon. Bobby C. Gogo to surrender after being deceived by the wrong ideologies and experiencing hardships without getting any support from the CNTs.

Dondon was begged by his daughter and wife to surrender to the authorities. He surrendered because he could no longer bear the hardships and evil deeds of the CNTs and would prefer to surrender than to die in operation without seeing his family again. “Nagsurender ko tungod sa ako pamilya nga wa nay atiman, sa kalisod nga ako naagian, walay pagkaon, kagotom, og saakong pagkatiguwang nga dili nako makalahutay. Tungod na pud sa pagkamingaw sa akong asawa at anak.” (I surrendered because with my age, I cannot bear the hardships I suffered, hunger because of no food to eat, and I already miss my family and children.) Dondon said.

The Barangay Chairman then called to Lt. Col. Asnawi P. Muti, 25th Infantry Battalion Commander to handover the surrendered firearms and ammunition.

“Alias Dondon made the right decision in surrendering to this unit. There is nothing more important than reuniting with your loved ones and live a normal and peaceful life again. This unit always welcome rebels who finally decided to bring back their trust to the government,” Lt. Col. Muti said.

“This is a big accomplishment to the troops and the unit but a more satisfying and a bigger success to Dondon for deciding to surrender and return to his family for good,” he added.

Dondon is now under the custody of this unit for custodial debriefing and for his enrolment on Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) and other financial and moral assistance he will receive in coordination with the Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC), Davao de Oro.

Source: Civil-Military Operations Office, 25th Infantry Battalion, 10th Infantry Division, PA