QUEZON CITY, Philippines (Eagle News) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that a total number of 326 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the government last month.
Despite the large number of rebels who surrendered, AFP Spokesperson General Edgar Arevalo admitted that it is still too early to say that the AFP can defeat the rebel group.
He said that the unprecedented number of surrenderrees could be attributed to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte, who is also the AFP commander-in-chief, for the NPA rebels to surrender to the government.
He said the President also touched on the “hardship and sense of betrayal experienced by the returnees in staying with the NPA.”