Soldiers recently recovered five high-powered firearms of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the fringes of Barangay Camam-onan, Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte.
In a statement on Monday, the Philippine Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade (901Bde) said the recovery of the firearms was made possible through the revelations made by three NPA rebels who surrendered on July 6 to troopers of the 30th Infantry Battalion (IB) and the 29IB.
The firearms that were buried in the area, including two M16 rifles, two AK-47 rifles, and an M-14 rifle, were recovered on July 11.
The three rebels, identified only as“Rifle,” “Janine,” and “Maxx,” belonged to the dismantled NPA Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Northland, which the SRC Westland of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee later absorbed.
The three decided to abandon the NPA group due to hardships, lack of food and supplies, crises in leadership, and fear. They handed over a Springfield rifle and a 9mm Ingram machine pistol.
“The surrender and recovery of firearms indicate the significant downfall of the NPA in the region,” said Brig. Gen. Arenio Sadural, commander of 901Bde.
He acknowledged the positive impact of the Army's coordinated operations in Agusan del Norte, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur to uphold peace and stability.
Comments