The 10th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army has recorded 300 New People's Army (NPA) rebels who surrendered from January to July 2026, while authorities continue to report no monitored recruitment activities by the communist group in Talaingod and other geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (Gidas).
Spokesperson Clarifies Troop Presence in Talaingod
Speaking during the Davao Peace and Security media briefing on July 1, 2026, at the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Maj. Ruben Gadut, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry Division, said reports claiming that Talaingod no longer has military troops are inaccurate. He explained that military units in the area have only been reorganized.
"We still have troops in Talaingod. No one said the area has been left vacant because the previous units were only taken over by other units. As of my latest update this morning, we have not monitored any recruitment activity or even the presence of recruiters," Gadut said.
Monitoring and Recruitment Prevention
The military continues to monitor areas that could become vulnerable to recruitment, particularly in rural communities, although no recruitment has been monitored in Gidas. Gadut added that previous recruitment attempts in Masara were stopped with the help of former rebels and government forces.
Surrender Data and Recovered Weapons
Gadut said the military has recorded 300 NPA surrenderers since January, including the latest seven rebels who surrendered last week in parts of North Cotabato and Davao del Norte. "So far, from January to date, we have recorded a total of 300 rebel surrenderers. Along with these, government forces have recovered 169 assorted firearms and 19 improvised explosive devices," he said.
Efforts to Encourage Surrender
Gadut added that most of those who have yet to surrender are believed to be inactive or low-profile members who remain in hiding. "So far, wala may nakita nato nga active NPA sa field ug nagtago-tagò ni sila. Ginapaningkamutan nato nga mosurender ni sila. Dili lang kay mag-surrender sila mawala na sila sa listahan, ang atoang ginalikayan diri mao nga dili na sila ma-initiate pag-usab ug dili na mobalik sa ilang grupo," he said. (So far, we have not seen any active NPA members in the field because they are hiding. We are making every effort to encourage them to surrender. Our goal is not just for them to surrender so their names can be removed from the list, but to ensure that they are not recruited again and do not return to their group.)
Previous Military Report
Based on a previous military report released in January 2025, government forces had recovered or received 254 firearms surrendered by former rebels, reflecting the continuing campaign to weaken the communist insurgency in the Davao Region.
