GOVERNMENT troops seized 10 high-powered firearms, 16 grenades and nearly 5,000 rounds of ammunition and other war materiel of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Camarines Norte last Wednesday, the military reported yesterday.
The Rizal-based 2nd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army said the rebels’ belongings were retrieved based on information provided by an NPA rebel who earlier surrendered.
Troops from the Army’s 16th Infantry Battalion and personnel from the local police found the war materiel hidden in Barangay Exciban in Labo, Camarines Norte.
The seized war materiel included an Ultimax light machine gun, seven M16 rifles, an M653 rifle, an M14 rifle, 14 magazines, 16 hand grenades, and two rolls of detonating cord.
Also seized were 4,211 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition and 715 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.
A large volume of war materiel was also recovered by soldiers in the same town in the past months — Barangay Exciban on January 9, Barangay Baay on February 13, and Barangay Malatap on March 9.
“This arms cache marks the fourth recovery in the municipality of Labo this year,” said 2nd ID commander Maj. Gen. Cerilo Balaoro Jr, referring to the war materiel seized on Wednesday.
“(A)and it is a clear manifestation that our intensified efforts, coupled with valuable community cooperation, and the support of the former CTG (communist terrorist group) members will lead to the eventual demise of the terrorists in the area,” added Balaoro.
He said the seizure of the war materiel has weakened the “operational capability of the terrorist NPA in Southern Luzon.”
