By Mike Crismundo BUTUAN CITY - A New Peoples’ Army (NPA) fighter and 33 other members of the Militia ng Bayan (MB) surrendered to the Army’s 71st Infantry (Kaibigan) Battalion in Sitio Upper Lahi, Barangay Magnaga, Pantukan, Compostela Valley (ComVal) province on Tuesday afternoon, reported  First Lt. Jhocell D. Asis, Civil Military Operation (CMO) officer of the 71st IB reported Friday. According to Asis, those who surrendered came from different areas of Pantukan town, particularly in Barangay Napnapan. “They are all under the weakened Guerilla Front (WGF) 2, Sub-Regional Committee 2, Southern Mindanao Regional Command organized,” she said. Through the intervention of the barangay officials and with the help of the real-time information fed by the populace, the mass surrender was made successful, she added. “We will never stop to suppress Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) in our Area of Operation (AO) until our populace will live peacefully away from fears and coercion made by this terrorist group,” also said Lt. Col. Esteveyn E. Ducusin, commander of the 71st IB. “We are very thankful for the continuous support of the local officials who serve as intermediary between us and NPA members and supporters. It is the manifestation that the 71st IB continued gaining the trust and confidence of the people and Former Rebels in our Area of Operations,” he said. The 71st IB has already recorded 4,000 CNT members and mass supporters who have voluntarily surrendered from different places under its AO, he said. The 71st IB remains steadfast in performing its mandate to serve and protect the people in the Area of Operation, said Ducusin. The former rebels have already availed of the immediate cash assistance and livelihood support from the government through the E-CLIP program, the 71st IB commander added.