Eight members of the Manobo Dulangan indigenous peoples community in Sultan Kudarat province, who claimed to have been promised support for their families in exchange for joining the communist New People’s Army (NPA), surrendered to the military on Thursday.
Lt. Col. Romel S. Valencia, Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion (7IB) commander, said the surrenderers also turned in 13 firearms and three explosives during the surrender rites in Barangay Masiag, Bagumbayan, Sultan Kudarat.
Aley Danyan alias Ka Dandan, the leader of the surrendering group, said they belonged to the Platoon My Phone of the NPA East Daguma Front South Regional Command–Far South Mindanao Region.
He added that they were recruited to join the NPA with the promise that the organization will provide support to their families. However; the CPP-NPA-NDF did not keep their promise leaving them in a state of suffering.