CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — After decades spent fighting in the hills, a 64-year-old former rebel has laid down his arms and returned to civilian life in Nueva Ecija, citing a longing for peace and a better future for his family.

Identified only as “Ka Bal,” the former New People's Army (NPA) guerrilla surrendered to authorities on 18 November in a coordinated operation involving multiple police units and military intelligence, according to reports from the Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3).

Ka Bal, a farmer from Barangay Kita-kita, San Jose City, once served as a “Pulang Mandirigma” (Red Fighter) under the Arcadio Peralta Command, operating in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan.

“Life in the mountains was hard, full of hardship and uncertainty,” Ka Bal told police during debriefing. “I realized it was time to come home, to live a peaceful life with my family.”

Ka Bal also surrendered a homemade 12-gauge shotgun with ammunition. He is now undergoing debriefing and is expected to receive assistance under the government's Enhanced Community Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides cash incentives and livelihood support to former rebels.

Police Colonel Heryl Bruno, Nueva Ecija’s provincial director, hailed Ka Bal’s surrender as a major step toward achieving an insurgency-free province. “We welcome Ka Bal back to society and commend his courage in choosing the path of peace,” Bruno said. “This shows that our efforts to reach out to rebels and offer them a chance to rebuild their lives are bearing fruit.”

The surrender comes as the Philippine National Police (PNP) intensifies its campaign against local terrorism, aligning with the directives of PBGen Ponce Rogelio I. Peñones Jr., Regional Director of PRO3, to eradicate all forms of insurgency in Central Luzon.