By Sarwell Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY – A joint team from the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police-Scene of the Crime Operatives (PNP-SOCO) unearthed on Monday an arms cache of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Carigara, Leyte.
In a news release Tuesday, Lt. Col. Celeste Frank Sayson, commander of the Army’s 93rd Infantry Battalion, said the arms cache found in Barangay Cogon belonged to the remnants of Platoon 2 of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.
Recovered during the operation were an M16 rifle, a hand grenade, ammunition, three short magazines, two improvised blasting cups, subversive documents, a computer tablet, rice, a backpack, and various medical paraphernalia.
“The successful recovery of the arms cache was made possible through the strong cooperation of the community, as they reported the location to the authorities,” Sayson said.
Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade, praised the community’s cooperation with the government’s anti-insurgency campaign.
“We commend our troops and the PNP-SOCO for their swift action on the information provided by the community on the location of the buried weapons. The cooperation of the community is important in our steps to put an end to the crime spree of these remaining NPA members in Carigara,” Vestuir said.
He encouraged the NPA remnants in Leyte to surrender and take advantage of government programs that can help them start anew.
In June this year, three members of the same group were killed during an armed encounter in the village of Carigara. (PNA)
