NPA continues to lose armed assets to government troops

DAVAO CITY – The New People’s Army (NPA) has continued to lose their assets in latest campaign of the government troops against the communist group during the first two months of the year.

The military units 209 seized and surrendered high-powered and low-powered firearms and 155 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) belonging to the NPA from January to February 2018.

Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia, chief of public affairs office of the AFP, said Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) alone recorded a total of 165 firearms and 131 IEDs that were confiscated from the NPA and its supporters.

On February 27, the 16th Infantry Battalion discovered an arms cache tipped off by former rebel in Calinan District. The troops seized six firearms and other war materiel (military material and equipment).

Three arms cache were discovered by the 66th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army on February 21. These included six high-powered firearms, five IEDs, and several war materiel in Compostela Valley.

The location of the three arms cache were revealed by former rebels who surrendered to the 66th IB.

According to Garcia, the surrenderers, mostly from the eastern part of Mindanao, brought with them their firearms and surrendered them to the authorities. Each firearm has corresponding remuneration to help surrenders start a new life.

This is aside from the immediate assistance from the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP). Garcia said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continues to call on the remaining rebels to return to the folds of law and be productive members of the community.

“The AFP will continue to conduct operations to degrade the armed capability of the terrorists and further enhance Community Support Program to empower local government units in providing basic services to the people in their communities to encourage more NPAs to surrender,” he added. (Rhoda Grace Saron/PNA)