A former member of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) under the dismantled Guerilla Front (GF) Main Regional Guerilla Unit (MRGU) of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC) voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Zamboanga del Norte.
Giovanie Billones Atis, also known as “Cocoy,” 38 years old and a resident of Barangay Nasibak, Leon Postigo, turned himself in to the Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Intelligence Unit (ZNPIU), headed by PLTCOL Francisco Calumba, Jr. The surrender was facilitated with the assistance of personnel from the Leon Postigo Municipal Police Station, Zamboanga del Norte Provincial Intelligence Team of the Regional Intelligence Unit 9 (ZNPIT-RIU9), 901st Regional Mobile Force Battalion 9 (RMFB9), 1st and 2nd Zamboanga del Norte Police Mobile Force Companies (ZNPMFC), and the Zamboanga del Norte Maritime Police Station (ZDN MARPSTA).
Atis surrendered two firearms: a Garand rifle and a KG9 machine pistol, which were issued to him in 2000 during his involvement with the GF MRGU-WMRPC.
In a formal ceremony, Atis took an oath of allegiance in front of Governor Rosalina “Nanay Nene” Jalosjos. The event was witnessed by Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office (ZNPPO) Provincial Director PCOL Rainier Diaz, Acting Provincial Administrator Levy H. Lagutin Jr., 2nd District Board Member Michael Documento, DILG Provincial Director Oliver Ombos, 97th Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer LTCOL Jimmy Sanz, and other intelligence and law enforcement officials.
The oath-taking coincided with the 1st Quarter Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) meetings, held on January 16 at the Zamboanga del Norte Convention and Exhibition Center in Dipolog City.
As part of the government’s reintegration efforts, Atis received monetary assistance amounting to PHP 20,000, 50 kilograms of rice, and grocery packages from the provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte. He has since been released to the community integration program under the supervision of the ZNPIU.
This surrender underscores the continued efforts of local authorities to promote peace and security in the region while providing former insurgents with opportunities for reintegration into society.