DAVAO CITY (February 28) — Military authorities in Eastern Mindanao discovered two arms cache owned by the two Communist-NPA Terrorist Group (CNTG) after receiving tip from residents in the area.
Lieutenant Colonel Ezra Balagtey, spokesperson of the military’s Easter Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) in a press statement revealed, that elements of 23rd Infantry Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division, discovered an arms cache inside a cave, measuring about 1,200 square meters, believed to be a communist hideout at Sitio Bulak, Brgy Lower Olave, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte last February 27.
The troops, according to Balagtey, recovered two unserviceable Garand rifles (serial number 2251028 and defaced) and 90 bottles of medicine.
On Tuesday, February 26, another cache with four high powered firearms, were recovered by operating troops of the 56th Infantry Battalion, in Barangay Dagohoy Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
Balagtey revealed, Brig. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr, Commander of 103rd Infantry Brigade, reported the discovery of the arms cache which has two M14 Rifles, one 50 Cal. Browning Heavy Machine Gun and one 60 MM mortar, a magazine for M14 and 7.62mm ball ammunition came after troops responded to the information of the community in the area.
Major General Felimon T. Santos Jr, Commander, Eastern Mindanao Command lauded the troops for the successful recovery, as he thanked the community for reporting the incident to the authorities, saying it is a big help in the government’s effort of attaining peace.
Santos emphasized, “Security of the communities can be best done if stakeholders of peace will complement each other. The effort of the communities of providing information and declaring the armed terrorist undesirable denies them of space to hide, plan and carry out evil plans.”
Last week, tribal leaders in various communities in Davao del Norte, North Cotabato and Agusan del Sur declared the CNTGs as “persona non grata” in their respective communities.
Theories are rife, civilians tipped off the stored firearms after lumad leaders declared the rebels and their supporters “persona non grata” in their communities.
All these years, rural residents are afraid to report movement of the communist in their communities for fear of reprisal, not that their leaders have turned turned their backs, the military expect full cooperation from the residents.-NewLine.ph
