Journalist
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City – Troops of the 75th Infantry (Marauder) Battalion unearthed an arms cache belonging to the remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in the hinterlands of Tinindakan, Sitio Panukmuan, Brgy. Diatagon, Lianga, Surigao del Sur on April 23, 2025.
Lieutenant Colonel Jan B. Molero, Commanding Officer of 75IB, said the discovery was made possible through the information voluntarily provided by a former NPA member who surrendered to the unit.
The seized items included one (1) AK47 rifle, two (2) steel magazines, and 10 rounds of ammunition which will be used by NPA to carry out atrocities in the area.
“The continuous collaboration that we have with FRs are significant in achieving greater heights in our campaign to end local communist armed conflict in our AOR. We are consistently conducting consultations and dialogues with them in the bid to hunt those remnants who continue to evade government operating forces, and seize their remaining firepower,” he added.
In his statement, Major General Michele B. Anayron Jr., Commander of 4ID, commended the 75IB troops for their continuous efforts in maintaining peace and development in the area. He also emphasized that this accomplishment reflects the increasing trust that former rebels are placing in the government’s sincerity to bring lasting peace to their communities.
“Our recent accomplishments in the field are not solely the result of military operations, but of strong collaboration between our troops, former rebels, the LGUs, stakeholders and the communities that we have been serving. These efforts have been instrumental in driving out threats and maintaining peace in our area of operations. This discovery of arms cache is a clear testament to the growing trust of FRs in our campaign and the recovery of these war materiel hinders the NPA’s capability to conduct future acts of violence,”