A total of 93 New People’s Army (NPA) members in Western Visayas gave up their fight and surrendered to the government from January to April 12 this year.

Police Regional Office in Western Visayas spokesperson, Major Mary Grace Borio, in an interview yesterday, said 22 of the surrenderers were through the efforts of the provincial police office in Antique, 24 from Capiz, 20 from Iloilo, 26 from Negros Occidental, and one through the Regional Mobile Force Battalion.

Available data from the operations division showed that 80 yielded in the first quarter of this year, higher compared to the 20 surrenderers during the same period last year.

The rest surrendered only in April, including two members of the Baloy Platoon, Central Front Committee Kilusang Rehiyon-Panay, who gave up to the authorities in Barangay Poblacion Ilaya in Iloilo province’s Calinog town.

Borio added that for the said quarter, eight rebels were killed and 14 others were arrested in various internal security operations of the Philippine National Police.

“One factor for the increase in the surrenderers is the whole-of-the-nation approach of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict,” she said.

Borio called for continuous public support in the conduct of internal security operations.

“This will have a great impact on our community because there will be peace and order when our CTGs [communist terrorist groups] or problems with internal security operations end,” she added. (PNA)