Davao City – The military announced Tuesday the successful dismantling of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Guerrilla Front 3, Sub-Regional Committee 4, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (GF3, SRC4, SMRC).
This came following the surrender of 13 of its members to authorities on February 26 at Purok 4, Barangay Kidawa, Laak, Davao de Oro.
In a presentation of the newly-surrendered NPA members to the media on March 1 at the 60th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Davao del Norte, the surrenderers led by Renard Galos Catarata, the GF3 commanding officer, said their food supplies and physical strength were exhausted due to the relentless military operations in the area.
“We have nowhere to go, no food supplies were coming in,” he said in the vernacular.
“The masses also refused to help us and we are experiencing low morale due to a series of setbacks suffered by SMRC,” he added.
Apart from the setbacks suffered by the GF3, Catarata said the SMRC already experienced a leadership vacuum.
“We have no one to seek guidance to, that’s why we decided to surrender to avoid death,” he said.
The surrenderers also gave up 13 assorted firearms, thousands of ammunitions of different caliber, and subversive documents.
Brig. Gen. Jesus Durante III, the Army’s 1001st Brigade commander, lauded the troops for the accomplishment citing the government is gaining more grounds against the communist group.
The dismantling, according to Durante, was due to the relentless focused military operations conducted in the boundaries of Laak, Davao de Oro, and Loreto, Agusan del Sur since October last year.
“This is yet another milestone to our campaign in ridding of the five-decade deceptive and terroristic acts of the communist NPA. After all, this is not just our accomplishment but also of the government and the peace-loving people we ought to serve,” he said.
He also welcomed the “rescued” personalities of GF3 and thanked them as they return to the folds of the law.
“You’ve made the best decision. As promised, you will be taken care of,” Durante said.
The surrenderers immediately underwent medical check-ups and swab tests to ensure they were in good health.
Currently, Durante said the surrenderers are still undergoing custodial debriefing and will be enrolled in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (ECLIP) – a government intervention to aid them as they reintegrate into mainstream society.
The Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
The Anti-Terrorism Council also formally designated the National Democratic Front as a terrorist organization on June 23, 2021, citing it as “an integral and inseparable part” of the CPP-NPA that was created in April 1973.
(Source: Philippine News Agency)