Monday, May 4, 2020

Ex-NPA fighter leads Army to rebels’ buried guns in NoCot

From the Philippine News Agency (May 4, 2020): Ex-NPA fighter leads Army to rebels’ buried guns in NoCot (By Edwin Fernandez)



BURIED FIREARMS. Soldiers belonging to the Army’s 72IB dig up the firearms and anti-personnel mine concealed by communist New People’s Army rebels with the help of a former NPA fighter in Antipas, North Cotabato on Sunday (May 3, 2020). The war materiel (inset) were separately buried in the forests of far-flung Barangays Camutan and Magsaysay in the municipality. (Photo courtesy of 72IB)

A former communist rebel led military forces to separate locations where the New People’s Army (NPA) buried firearms and explosives in two agricultural villages in Antipas, North Cotabato, the military here said Monday.

Lt. Nikko Tarayao, civil-military operations chief of the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion (72IB), said
the former NPA member under Guerrilla Front 53 who earlier surrendered to the military pinpointed the location of the rebels’ war materiel in remote Barangays Camutan and Magsaysay of Antipas.

The firearms recovered on Sunday include two M-16 rifles, an M-79 grenade launcher, an anti-personnel mine, magazines of ammunition, all in Barangay Camutan; and two other M-16 rifles in Barangay Magsaysay.


“The number of NPA rebels is dwindling as attested by the surrenderer due to the reduced number of locals supporting the movement,” Tarayao said.

Tarayao quoted the former rebel as saying that more communist guerillas who are tired of fighting the government and unfulfilled promises of a good life by NPA leaders, are expected to yield soon.

He said the recovered rifles and explosives are now in the custody of 72IB while the NPA surrenderer is still undergoing debriefing as he is being prepared for reintegration into the mainstream society.

The Army official urged other NPAs still in the mountains to come down, surrender their firearms and live normal lives with their families.

The NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United Kingdom, the European Union, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1101757

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