BUTUAN CITY — Twenty-eight combatants of the communist New People's Army surrendered to various field units of the Police Regional Office in the Caraga Region on Monday.

Maj. Jennifer Ometer,

PRO-13 information office chief, said the surrender coincided with the 54th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Ometer disclosed that 19 of the surrenderers were from Agusan del Norte, five in Surigao del Sur, three in Surigao del Norte and one in Agusan del Sur.

He also noted that among the surrenderers were two active team leaders, a vice team leader, and a finance officer.

"The two team leaders were identified as alias Ben of Platoon 8, Guerrilla Front 19 of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee and alias Bedrenz of Squad 2, GF-19, NEMRC," Ometer said.

The rebels separately handed over an M16 rifle, five shotguns, nine rifle grenades, two .45-caliber pistols, five .38-caliber revolvers and two hand grenades when they surrendered.

They also yielded explosive materials composed of more than a kilo of ammonium nitrate, 20 meters of detonating cord, and nine pieces of blasting caps.

PRO-13 director Brig. Gen. Pablo Labra II said the death of Jose Maria Sison has contributed to a large number of surrenders in the region.

"They now want to give up the armed struggle and return to their families to live more peaceful and non-violent lives," Labra said.

In the past 54 years, he said the CPP has given nothing to the Filipino people "but hardships, famine and war."

The surrenderers are now being processed in the different police field stations in preparation for their enrollment in the government's Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.