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NPA hideout, war materiel discovered in Nueva Ecija

By Jason De Asis

May 1, 2020, 8:45 pm

<p><strong>ARMS CACHE</strong>. The war materiel recovered in an abandoned hideout of the New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Labi, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on Thursday (April 30, 2020). The government troops were conducting focused military operations when they discovered the hideout.<em> (Photo courtesy of the Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion)</em></p>

ARMS CACHE. The war materiel recovered in an abandoned hideout of the New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Labi, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on Thursday (April 30, 2020). The government troops were conducting focused military operations when they discovered the hideout. (Photo courtesy of the Army’s 91st Infantry Battalion)

BALER, Aurora – Government troops discovered an abandoned hideout of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Labi, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija on Thursday.

Lt. Col. Reandrew Rubio, acting commander of the Army’s 91st Infantry (Sinagtala) Battalion (91IB), said on Friday the government troops were conducting focused military operations when they discovered the rebels' lair.

He said the troops recovered from the site one .45-caliber pistol with magazine and one round of live ammunition, one .38-caliber revolver with three rounds of live ammunition, one .22-caliber home-made pistol (automatic) with magazine and five rounds of live ammunition, one generator, one 81-mm mortar ammunition, four M203 grenade launcher ammunition, two rifle grenades, one hand grenade, 150 rounds of .30-caliber live ammunition, 15 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, and 12 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition.

“All recovered war materiel items have been turned over to 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (1PMFC) of NEPPO (Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office) for proper handling and disposition,” he said.

Rubio also said the people can be assured that they will continue to go after the NPA bandits to ensure “that they will not get a chance to cause harm again on them especially during the course of our fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).”

Brig. Gen. Alfredo V. Rosario, Jr., commander of 7th Infantry “Kaugnay” Division, likewise said “Hindi tayo titigil hanggat hindi natin nabibigyang katiyakan ang kaligtasan ng mga tao sa aming nasasakupan (We will not stop until we give an assurance to the safety of the people within our jurisdiction).”

Rosario said with the intensified operations being conducted by the Army, he expects more NPA rebels to return to the fold of the law.

It could be recalled that an abandoned NPA hideout was discovered by the same troops while conducting combat operations in Sitio Dupinga, Barangay Ligaya, Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija last April 22.

The NPA lair could accommodate around 50 persons.

Buried and found within the premises were one M16 rifle upper receiver group, 400 rounds of ammunition for M14 rifle, three water gallons containing rice, and one large cooking pot.

Rubio said the discovery of the bandits' hideout was a result of the intensified combat operations of the government troops. (PNA)

 

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