CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Upi, Gamu, Isabela – A New People’s Army arms cache was discovered by the Army 50th Infantry Battalion and Kalinga police in an abandoned encampment in Sitio Kalakatan, Barangay Mabaca, Balbalan, Kalinga on Friday, Dec. 9.
Found were one colt M16A1 rifle with four magazines, two Garand rifles with five magazine clips, one carbine rifle, three rifle grenades, 27 7.62mm ammunition, two M203 live ammunition, and 60mm ammunition.
Also recovered were two sticks of ammonium nitrate, three improvised explosive devices, electric wire, blasting cap, medical paraphernalia, NPA flag, personal belongings, and subversive documents.
Authorities discovered them after a concerned citizen reported the hideout of the weakened Komiteng Larangang Guerilla-Baggas.
According to authorities, the KLG-Baggas, whose number had dwindled, may have left the war materiel to escape pursuing government forces. The communist lair had been abandoned for months based on tracks found, they added.