TACLOBAN CITY — Police in Eastern Visayas reported the surrender of at least nine individuals linked to insurgent groups in a series of operations conducted across the region from April 24 to 29, 2026.
Brigadier General Jason Capoy, regional director of the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), said authorities continue to encourage members of armed groups to return to the fold of the law through reintegration efforts.
“We remain committed to guiding them back to lawful and productive lives through government reintegration programs,” Capoy said in a statement.
According to PRO-8, the latest surrenders involved former unit militia members and individuals previously associated with various sub-regional committees operating in Samar, Northern Samar, Leyte, and Eastern Samar.
On April 29, two individuals identified only as alias “Inday,” 54, and alias “Jay,” 29, surrendered in separate areas in Calbiga, Samar and Lope de Vega, Northern Samar through the efforts of the 2nd Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company, in coordination with intelligence units. One of the surrenderers also turned over a rifle grenade.
Earlier, on April 28, another militia member, alias “Dondon,” 40, from Catarman, Northern Samar, yielded to authorities. Additional surrenders were recorded on April 26, including a 32-year-old man from Lope de Vega who handed over a rifle grenade, and two others from Bobon, Northern Samar and Dolores, Eastern Samar.
On April 25, a 28-year-old former rebel from Catarman also surrendered, followed by two more individuals on April 24 in separate operations in Eastern Samar and Leyte. One of them turned over a .38 caliber revolver, ammunition, a rifle grenade, and detonating cord.
All surrenderers are now under police custody for documentation and assessment for possible inclusion in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides assistance to former rebels seeking to reintegrate into society.
Eastern Visayas has long been affected by insurgency, with communist rebel groups operating in parts of the region since the late 1960s. Government forces have continued efforts to weaken these groups through security operations and programs encouraging voluntary surrender and reintegration.
Authorities said the recent wave of surrenders reflects ongoing efforts to address insurgency not only through law enforcement but also by offering pathways for former rebels to return to civilian life.
(RONALD O. REYES)
