Severed finger found among firearms left behind by fleeing NPAs

From the Manila Bulletin (May 15): Severed finger found among firearms left behind by fleeing NPAs

Troops recovered a severed index finger among the cache of arms left behind by retreating New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists, whose attack on a militia patrol base was repulsed by the military in Sinacungan, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, early Monday.

According to Brig. Gen. Franco Nemesio Gacal, Commander of 402nd Infantry Brigade, troops recovered the index finger, believed to be from a wounded terrorist, alongside an M16 rifle and an M203 grenade launcher during the clearing operations two hours later.

The incident threatened to delay the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the area, until troops arrived to thwart the NPA threat.

There were no government casualties.

Troops were able to recover one M16 rifle and one M203 grenade launcher with an index finger believed to be that of a wounded NPA.

The military was also able to scuttle an attempt by the NPA to burn construction equipment in Sitio Miaray, Barangay Mandahican in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, according to Lt. Tere Ingente, chief of the Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division (5th ID) yesterday.

Ingente told The Manila Bulletin that troops of the Eighth Infantry Battalion (8th IB) engaged an undetermined number of Communist terrorists, who were about to set ablaze some construction equipment in Miaway area.

“From the information revealed by the locals, the NPA terrorists threatened to burn the equipment belonging to Ulticon Builders Incorporated (UBI) in the area,” stressed the 4th ID PAO officer.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/05/15/severed-finger-found-among-firearms-left-behind-by-fleeing-npas/