Hard life in the mountains, longing for family prompt NPA member to surrender

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A member of the New People’s Army (NPA) decided to surrender in Tambulig town, Zamboanga del Sur after experiencing hardship in the mountains and longing for his family.

Lt. Col. Rommel Almaria, commanding officer of 55th Infantry Battalion, said Alex Dungog alias Ronald, 28, a member of the section committee of Joji unit of Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) yielded Wednesday without firearm to the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) detachment.

Dungog, a resident of Barangay Tubugon, joined the local communist movement on October 2011 but decided to return to the fold of the law. 

“The reasons why he surrendered was due to family reasons and hardship in living in the mountains,” Almaria said in a statement.

Maj. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, chief of the Army 1st Division, believed that the military’s soft approach program budded as ‘Bayanihan’ in bringing government’s development program to the countryside is paving its way.

“The Bayanihan Team and the local officials of Barangay Tabugon of said municipalityworked together  for the successful negotiations,” Cruz said.

Cruz expressed optimism fo more members of the NPA to come down and abandon their struggle as the Bayanihan Operation of the military and the local government team up in bringing development in remote areas.