Troops discover NPA arms cache in Zambo Norte town

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 18, 2021): Troops discover NPA arms cache in Zambo Norte town (By Teofilo Garcia, Jr.)

Troops of the Philippine Army's 53rd Infantry “Matapat” Battalion (IB) have discovered an arms cache of the communist terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) in the hinterlands of Zamboanga del Norte, a top military official announced Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, in a statement Wednesday, said the troops discovered the arms cache on Tuesday while conducting reconnaissance patrol at Purok 2, Sitio Datagan, Barangay Guibo in the town of Siayan.

Herrera said the discovery of the arms cache, which contained one Garand Rifle, 10 magazine clips loaded with ammunition, and one bandoleer, stemmed from information from a concerned civilian in the community.

Herrera said the tip from the civilian is a genuine sign that hinterland communities renounce communist terrorist ideology.

“The Matapat Troopers will relentlessly pursue the enemy to keep the people of Barangay Guibo and the whole of Siayan town safe. This is a clear sign that hinterland community, once exploited by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA, now renounce their lies, propaganda, and deception,” he said.

Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, 102nd Infantry Brigade commander, thanked and encouraged the community to continue renouncing the communist ideology.

“We would like to extend our deepest gratitude to the people of Siayan for the continued support in our campaign to end local communist armed conflict. We encourage everyone else to continue to denounce the Communist Terrorist Groups and their atrocities for our children and the future generation,” Nicolas said.

Siayan, which consists of 22 barangays, is a second-class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Norte with a population of 36,236 based on the 2020 census.

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

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1150875