STEEL SHIELDS. Philippine Army and police operatives recovered four steel plates that were supposed to be mounted on the sides of trucks to shield New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in their planned attacks on detachments and checkpoints in Agusan del Norte. The steel plates were recovered on Saturday, January 11, in Sitio Tabon, Barangay Aklan, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte. (Photo courtesy of CMO, 23rd IB, Army)
BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte -- The military said it has uncovered evidence that validated previous intelligence reports of the plot to stage series of harassments of checkpoints by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the province.
Lt. Col. Francisco L. Molina, Jr., commander of the Army's 23rd Infantry, told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Sunday that military intelligence operatives obtained an information in late November last year from a former rebel who reported that the NPA's Guerrilla Front 4A (GF-4A) was planning to harass Army and police checkpoints and detachments in Agusan del Norte.
Molina said the information was proven true with the discovery and confiscation of four steel plates last Saturday (January 11) in a village in the town of Nasipit, Agusan del Norte has proven.
“The former rebel was very much certain of the information he provided us. He said that the NPA rebels will utilize dump trucks and cargo trucks shielded on both sides with steel plates to shield their combatants,” Molina said.
The former rebel, he added, also revealed that the NPA unit commissioned the production of four steel plates that were supposed to be delivered by the middle of December last year.
The informant also told the Army that the unit's leader, known as "Commander Baking," was planning to stage the series of harassments by January of 2020.
“I ordered our intelligence operatives to prioritize the information and conduct thorough intel operations in the area,” Molina said.
On January 5, Molina said a resident from Sitio Tabon, Barangay Aklan, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte informed the Army that he witnessed the delivery of steel plates by armed men he believed to be members of the NPA.
The civilian informant said the steel plates were delivered in a grassy, vacant lot on the eve of the New Year’s Day, or on December 31 last year.
“I asked the brigade to allow me to operate in the area on January 5 to recover the steel plates but I was prohibited due to the ceasefire that was still in effect,” Molina said.
The steel plates were finally recovered by the military and the Philippine National Police in Nasipit three days after the truce formally ended on Jan. 8, he said.
“I appreciate the courage of the civilian who informed our operatives on the location of the steel plates,” Molina said.
Had the plates not been recovered on time, the planned harassments of GF-4A could have inflicted serious damages to the targeted Army and police detachments, he added.
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090694
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