SEVENTEEN New People’s Army (NPA) fighters have surrendered to government forces after a series of negotiations with the military and relentless operations against the rebels, military officials said Tuesday. Army’s 4th Infantry Division public affairs chief Major Rodulfo Cordero said the former NPA rebels laid down 11 firearms and presented to Bukidnon local and military officials during a press conference. Cordero said the former rebels were from CPP-NPA’s Sub-Regional Committee 4 (SRC) of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC) under its Secretary Dionisio Micabalo alias Muling. Cordero said the rebels surrendered to the 1st Special Forces Battalion under 403rd Brigade of the 4ID in Barangay Mampayag, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. “Our relentless military operations against this NPA unit and continuous negotiations forced them to surrender bringing with them eleven high-powered firearms,” said 1st Special Forces Battalion commander Lt Col Vercisio San Jose. 4ID commander Major General Andres C Centino said the surrender of SRC4 members further weakens the CTG in Bukidnon province. “We will continue to press the fight against the NPA rebels in our area of operations,” said Centino adding that to pressure the rebels to surrender or decimate their forces through armed engagement if necessary. Meanwhile, the former rebels receive cash assistance and a sack of rice each from the province of Bukidnon through Gov. Jose Maria R. Zubiri Jr. They also received cash and food assistance from DSWD under the E-CLIP program being implemented by the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC). (Ben Balce)