BUTUAN CITY – Troops recovered a New People’s Army arms cache stashed in a cave in Purok 6, Barangay Kolambugan, Sibagat, Agusan del Sur last Tuesday, May 21.

A COMMUNIST arms cache was seized by troops in Agusan del Sur last week. (Photo via Mike U. Crismundo)

The 65th Infantry Battalion found bullets for M16 rifle, M14 rifle, caliber 30mm Garand rifle, grenade, rifle grenades, 40mm M203 grenade, blasting cap and detonating wire for anti-personnel mine (APM), belongings, assorted medicines, and anti-government documents.

Lt. Col. Francisco P. Garello Jr., chief of the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the 4th Infantry Division, said these were owned by the SRSDG Westland, SRC Westland of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) and were discovered after the Special Intelligence Operations unit of 65th IB on Tuesday seized a food cache in Barangay Kolambugan following information from concerned citizens.

"Our troops quickly responded after a thorough verification of the information we received,” 65th IB chief Lt. Col. Michael Mortejo said.

“With the capture of these food and ammunition supplies, the CTG operations will be heavily affected and disrupted, particularly its capability in conducting criminal activities and other atrocities as the local populace no longer provides them any kind of support." 

Meanwhile, the Special Recon Team under the 901st Brigade led by Brig. Gen. Arsenio DC Sadural captured an M16 Armalite rifle, bandoliers, and magazines after a 20-minute encounter with the regional headquarters of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA NEMRC in Barangay Camayahan, Butuan City, on Wednesday afternoon, May 22.

Major Gen. Jose Maria R. Cuerpo II, chief of the 4th ID, said the NPA will continue to be demoralized with the depletion of their resources.

"We will conduct intensified focused military operations with the help of the civilian populace who are providing us reliable information on the whereabouts of these remaining CNTs,” he said. “We will not stop until these remaining terrorist criminal groups will finally collapse and their few remaining members will choose to embrace the path to peace.”

“With the collaborative efforts of our troops and the local government unit and line agencies under the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, we can end this fight soon enough and continuously facilitate peace and development for every community," Cuerpo added.