ILOILO CITY – The Philippine Army neutralized 40 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels across the Visayas in May.
WAR materiel seized by the Philippine Army from NPA rebels in the Visayas. (Viscom)
A report released by the Visayas Command led by Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo said the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) sustained 17 casualties while 23 others surrendered.
During the course of the month, the Army seized 54 firearms in Western Visayas, Central Visayas, and Eastern Visayas.
A total of 38 guns were recovered during encounters while seven were discovered through information provided by former rebels. Another nine firearms were voluntarily surrendered.
Arevalo said there is no letup in their campaign against the NPA.
“The CPP-NPA in the Visayas region has been substantially weakened, having incurred devastating losses in their manpower and armed capability and the collapse of their support system from the community. Hence, our focused military operations will go on,” said Arevalo.
A total of 562 communist sympathizers in Visayas withdrew their support to the NPA and pledged their allegiance to the government.
Four communist guerrillas were killed in the most recent encounter with the military on May 28. A former student leader was among those killed in that gunbattle in Catarman, Northern Samar.