Philippine Rebellion Ends in Surrender : Mindanao: A renegade colonel gives himself up, and government forces recover two military camps on southern island.

A renegade colonel who led a revolt on the Philippines’ second-largest island surrendered today, ending the seventh military rebellion put down during President Corazon Aquino’s four-year rule.

Aquino had refused to negotiate with the rebels and promised to crush them.

Col. Alexander Noble surrendered unconditionally at 3 a.m. to Sen. Aquilino Pimentel on Mindanao island, according to Pimentel and Military Chief of Staff Gen. Renato de Villa.

Brig. Gen. Emiliano Templo, a military spokesman, said Noble’s chief civilian ally, Reuben Canoy, was also arrested. Canoy, leader of the Mindanao Independence Movement, had joined Noble in proclaiming self-rule for the island.

Pimentel said he would bring Noble, 42, to Manila later today and turn him over to the military. Government troops were rounding up Noble’s followers “group by group,” De Villa said.

“The small disruption in northern Mindanao is over,” he said. “We have recovered the camps that they seized. We are normalizing the conditions in these two cities.”

There was no immediate comment from Aquino. Officials said she was notified shortly after Noble gave up.

In Cagayan de Oro, 500 miles south of Manila, a grim-faced Noble claimed that he achieved his objectives of drawing attention to the problems of Mindanao.

“At least, the basic issues can be resolved peacefully,” Noble told reporters. “It’s a good pattern for everyone for national reconciliation.”

Noble and his forces launched their rebellion early Thursday, seizing military camps in Butuan and Cagayan de Oro and proclaiming independence for Mindanao.

De Villa said Noble’s followers in Butuan, 70 miles east of Cagayan de Oro, surrendered. The report could not be immediately confirmed.

De Villa said Noble and another renegade officer, Lt. Col. Victor Erfe, tried to slip out of Camp Evangelista, headquarters of the 4th Infantry Division, before dawn today but changed their minds and surrendered to Pimentel.

Local officials said Noble gave up after several hours of negotiations.

About 2 a.m. today, Noble telephoned Pimentel and said he was ready to surrender, local reporters said. Pimentel sent a car to pick up Noble, and Noble’s troops then filed out two-by-two in civilian clothes, witnesses said.

In Manila, Col. Juanito Rimando said about 150 of Noble’s troops had been taken into custody as of midmorning. Officials had estimated that Noble had about 300 troops and up to 600 civilians with him.

De Villa said he was contacted by the division commander, Brig. Gen. Miguel Sol, who disappeared soon after the takeover and was “temporarily” relieved.

De Villa quoted Sol as saying he had “escaped” Noble’s troops and wanted to return to government control.

Pimentel, a former mayor of Cagayan de Oro, flew to the city on Friday to offer himself as a negotiator to end the crisis.

During a radio interview, Pimentel said he would accompany Noble to Manila later today and that the colonel would be handed over to military authorities.

“They want me to continue their cause for Mindanao, which is for the national government to give enough attention,” Pimentel said. “I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Military officials here suspected that Noble’s goal was not independence for Mindanao but to create a diversion. They suspected that Noble wanted to force the government to deploy troops from Manila.

Military dissidents would then strike in the capital and try to topple the government.

Troops were placed on full alert in Manila, and garrisons in the capital were reinforced. But there was no sign of any unusual troop movements here.

It appeared that Noble gave up after realizing that his mutiny had not led to any general uprising on Mindanao or in the Manila area.

Earlier Friday, about 150 elite Scout Rangers from the 23rd Infantry Battalion in the Mindanao city of Iligan had declared their allegiance to Noble. Local journalists said the Rangers joined the revolt because of an air raid Thursday on their garrison.

Military officials said government planes fired on the camp while attacking and destroying a rebel helicopter. Late Friday, the mutinous rangers left their camp and marched to the heart of Iligan, where they planned to camp overnight.

Government forces did not attempt to stop them to avoid a firefight in the industrial center.