Soldiers Dig NPA Leader’s Rifle, Ammunition Following Tip

Posted to Kalinaw News (Jul 21, 2020): Soldiers Dig NPA Leader’s Rifle, Ammunition Following Tip

CAMP CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal — Soldiers recovered an M653 rifle with magazine and ammunition after a former rebel revealed the location of an arms cache in Laguna on Saturday.

According to the military, the rifle buried in Brgy Cansuso of Cavinti town belongs to Dioscorro Cello alias Termo, the top NPA commander operating in the area.

Brigadier General Alex Rillera, Commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade which has operational jurisdiction over CALABARZON, identified the former rebel who tipped the security forces about the cache as “alias Iting.”

“His cooperation is an off-shoot of the good treatment which he received from the soldiers and policemen who assisted him in reintegrating to mainstream society, something that is contrary to what the underground movement has been indoctrinating their fighters to keep them in the mountains”, said BGen Rillera.

BGen Rillera ended his statement by reassuring the NPA terrorists who will decide to return to the folds of the law that “they will be treated well and that their rights will be respected in accordance to prevailing international laws and conventions.”

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, Commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, expressed his optimism that locating and digging arms caches “will be the new normal in Southern Tagalog in the coming days as the 604 surrenders over the past two years begin to feel the government’s sincerity to promote national healing and unity so our country and people can finally move forward as a nation.”

Per the military’s records, 114 firearms have been turned-over to the government by former rebels since the E-CLIP’s maiden implementation in Luzon and Visayas at Tanauan City, Batangas was held on August 14, 2018.

He added that the security forces, through the RTF ELCAC’s Peace, Law Enforcement and Development Support Cluster or PLEDS Cluster, have already defeated the NPA’s guerilla front that is operating in the provinces of Rizal and Quezon as well as in some parts of Bulacan.

“We are now in the final stages of validating Guerilla Front Cesar’s dismantling which is primarily due to our ability to deal decisive blows upon the armed group that led to the recovery of firearms, reduction of manpower and clearing of affected barangays”, said Maj Gen Burgos.

He ended his statement by assuring the people of Southern Tagalog that “your soldiers are gaining ground in defeating the NPA terrorists in this part of the country and that we are confident that we will be able to meet the timeline so that our people may finally live the peaceful and prosperous lives that every Filipino citizen truly deserves.”

Last July 14, 11 former rebels received almost Php 1 million-worth of E-CLIP benefits from USec Reynaldo Mapagu of DND’s Task Force Balik Loob.

More than Php 16 million-worth of E-CLIP benefits, which include firearms remuneration, have been distributed to former rebels from CALABARZON and MIMARO Provinces.

[Kalinaw News is the official online source of information on the pursuit for peace in the Philippines This website is a property of the Civil-Military Operations Regiment, Philippine Army located at Lawton Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Contact us: kalinawnews@cmoregiment.com]

https://www.kalinawnews.com/soldiers-dig-npa-leaders-rifle-ammunition-following-tip/