Manila, Sept. 4 -- Thirty-one members of the communist New People's Army (NPA) and communist front organizations (CFOs) have surrendered to the authorities in August, according to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 1 (Ilocos Region).

PRO-1 information officer Maj. Divina Albino, in a phone interview on Thursday, said the surrenderers included four NPA rebels who handed over two firearms and four explosives, while 27 CFO members turned in three firearms.

"This significant haul of personnel and weapons deals a blow to the operational capacity and influence of these threat groups in the Ilocos Region," she said.

Albino said the police conducted a debriefing with the surrenderers, during which their needs, risks, and reintegration possibilit...