AFP expects more rebel returnees this year

MANILA, Philippines – A total of 117 members of the New People’s Army have surrendered starting January this year, with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expecting more to yield this year.

Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, chief of the AFP's public affairs office, said the numbers of the NPA have been reduced with the launching of the military’s Internal Peace and Security Plan.

The program tapped the participation of the citizens in the campaign of the government against insurgency, while enticing rebel members to return to the fold of law.

Compared to the first three months of 2010, the military also noted a significant decrease of the AFP-NPA engagements.

AFP operations have also yielded a total of 88 firearms this quarter compared from last year’s 148.

A major development is that the attacks perpetrated by the NPA have been reduced 62 from last year’s 86 incidents, the military said.

“These imply that even with the decrease in the number of AFP-initiated armed engagements and firearms recovered, the numbers of surrendering rebels have substantially increased,” said AFP chief Eduardo Oban Jr.

“The need for armed engagements against the NPA will eventually decrease as we see a continuance in the influx of NPA members surrendering,” Oban added. (report from Jun Pasaylo, Philstar.com)