DAVAO CITY — Fourteen members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the various units of the 4th Infantry Division (4ID) in Caraga last week.

In a statement on Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo II said that this NPA's major setback only signifies its lost cause and dying ideology whose members now believe in the government's genuine care for them manifested through the convergence efforts of different agencies under the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).

“The relentless focused military operations of the troops of the 4th Infantry Division have paved the way for 14 demoralized members of the NPA to embrace a peaceful life as they surrendered along with nine firearms,” she added.

On 5 March, two members of the Regional Sentro De Gravidad (RSDG) and three others from the dismantled Guerilla Front 19 (DGF19) both of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) surrendered to the troops of the 75th Infantry Battalion under the 401st Infantry Brigade in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.

They were identified as alias Rodney, Ella, Goma, Trojan, and Zac and yielded one M653 Rifle, one KG 45, and one improvised carbine rifle.

On March 9, troops of the 29th Infantry Battalion under the 901st Infantry Brigade (901Bde) in Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte successfully negotiated the surrender of five members of the so-called regional headquarters (RHQ) of North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) identified as Maria Sila Galupo, Hanah Sarah Galupo, Narlyn Conseugra, Manuel Nakira Jr., and Urily Nakila, bringing along two M16 rifles, one AK47 rifle, and one grenade launcher.

On the same day, another four NPA members belonging to the Weakened Guerilla Front 30 of the NPA surrendered to the 36th Infantry Battalion also under the operational control of the 901Bde in Carmen, Surigao del Sur, namely - Bernabe Pamad, Ronel Estano, Mary Koy Cuarteron, and Lito Montenegro, who yielded two firearms, one AK47 rifle, and a caliber .45 pistol.

"We have been continuously encouraging the remaining members of the NPA to abandon their group and face the real battle down the mountains. Our recent accomplishments only marked a significant milestone in our campaign to end this insurgency and we will continue until it’s done,” Cuerpo said, adding that, the 4ID will aggressively hunt the criminals if they continue to fight the government and put our people and its communities under threat and in danger.

The said surrenderers were in addition to the increasing number of NPAs who heed the government's call for peace and unity.