Maitum, Sarangani Province — A 19-year-old former member of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) voluntarily surrendered to authorities following a joint internal security operation in the hinterlands of Barangay Batian, Maitum, Sarangani Province, on September 15, 2025.
The major Internal Security Operation (ISO), codenamed OPLAN “MADAL-SOYOW,” was jointly carried out by the Maitum Municipal Police Station (MPS) led by PMAJ Ramil B. Aruelo, the 2nd Sarangani Provincial Mobile Force Company (SPMFC) under PLTCOL Darwin V. Castillo, the 1204th Regional Mobile Force Battalion, the 105th Philippine Army, the Tracker Team of RID 12, and the Sarangani Police Provincial Office–Provincial Intelligence Unit (SPPO-PIU).
The surrenderee, identified only as alias “Hector,” is a farmer from Sitio Kasingay, Barangay Ned, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. He was formerly affiliated with the Daguma Front of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC), which previously operated in the border areas of Maitum, Sarangani, and Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.
“Hector” yielded a homemade shotgun with a magazine loaded with five rounds of ammunition, which is now under the custody of the 2nd SPMFC for proper documentation and disposition.
The Sarangani Police Provincial Office (SPPO) emphasized that the operation is part of its intensified efforts to weaken and dismantle the remnants of the CTG in the region while encouraging active members to lay down their arms and reintegrate into mainstream society.
PCOL Jerone Orville P. Panganiban, Acting Provincial Director of SPPO, reaffirmed the commitment of the police and military to sustain the momentum of OPLAN “MADAL-SOYOW” in pursuit of lasting peace and security in Sarangani.