In Mabinay Army seizes explosives, high-powered firearms

From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 17): In Mabinay Army seizes explosives, high-powered firearms

Philippine Army soldiers recovered a cache of high-powered firearms, C4 plastic explosives, explosives components and food from an almost unpopulated area in Mayaposi, Mabinay town, Negros Oriental, Friday. Soldiers of the 302nd Brigade, the 79th Infantry Battalion and the Alpha Company of the 12th Infantry Battalion, intercepted two 5.56-mm M-16 assault rifles, five alloy magazines for M-16 rifles with a 20-round capacity, 112 of M-16 ammunition, six 40mm ammunition for grenade launchers, two rifle grenades, 35 meters of detonating cord, six pounds supply charge TNT (Trinitrotoluene), 1.5 pounds of C-4 explosives, one sack of rice, 100 cans of sardines, three boxes of noodles, four reams of cigaretes, three packs of crackers and four packs of instant coffee. Capt. Roberto Salvador of the Alpha Company, 12th IB, who led the team that intercepted the armaments and food supplies, said some civilians tipped them of the items that were left in a clearing.

Initial reports said a cargo truck, loaded with sugarcane from Negros Oriental, with no registration plate, had arrived in the area early Friday and dropped the items off. No witnesses were immediately available to provide authorities with additional information on the identities of the bearers, or the recipients of the items. The soldiers proceeded to the area at around 3 a.m. Friday, or about 30 minutes after the drop off was made, and found the sack of rice and boxes of food supply unattended. Nobody was in the vicinity, and the soldiers believe they had arrived ahead of the recipients, Salvador added. Upon inspection, the soldiers discovered the two assault rifles concealed inside a sack filled with rice, and the explosives in the boxes of foodstuff, he said.

Army officials said they believe that these items were for the Sangay sa Partido sa Platoon, Central Komiteng Rehiyon Negros of the New People’s Army operating in the hinterlands of Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities in Negros Occidental, and Tayasan town in Oriental. The delivery could be part of a large tactical offensive by the NPA against government troops, to include soldiers and policemen, as part of the upcoming 43rd anniversary of the NPA on December 29, Salvador said. He said it is not unusual for the insurgents to employ strategies similar to terrorists in setting up landmines using C-4 plastic explosives and TNT chemicals in tactical operations against government forces.

The Army is determining the source of the C-4 and TNT explosive materials as civilians do not and cannot ordinarily acquire these, Salvador said. They are also tracing the high-powered assault rifles, rifle grenades, 40 mm grenades and M-16 ammunitions, since they bore markings of weapons for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, although the serial numbers of the firearms had been defaced. “It appears the chemical explosive materials could be used to rig landmines along the Bais-Mabinay-Kabankalan road, a route normally taken by Army and police officials on their way to Negros Occidental,” he added. There is also the possibility that the transshipment of the armaments was political in nature, as the May 13, 2013 election is only about six months away, Salvador said.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2012/December/17/negor1.htm