Davao de Oro cops seize NPA weapons
SECURITY troops in Davao de Oro have seized a cache of high-powered New People’s Army (NPA) weapons including three machine guns this month, a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Dionardo B. Carlos on Monday said.
Davao de Oro Police Provincial Office director, Colonel Leonard L. Luna said that last Wednesday, an M60 machinegun with serial no. 182729 was recovered by his men in Purok 6, Barangay Tandawan, New Bataan following information provided by an NPA member who recently surrendered to them.
The rebel surrenderee personally revealed to Luna the exact place where the machine gun was being kept and being readied for use in attacking government troops in the province.
Members of the Davao de Oro PPO led by Major Edgardo Bernardo, Captain Marion Sibayan and Lieutenants Mark Glyceryl Amor Garcia and Christian Blase as well as the PNP Special Acton Force led by Lt. Daniel Daquer Jr., with the support of the Philippine Army’s 1001stInfantry Brigade and 25th and 28th Infantry Battalion went to the area to retrieve the weapon.
Col. Luna said that last April 2, at least three members of the CPP/NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Committee who yielded to them also led them to a spot in Sitio Mission in Bgy. Andap, also in New Bataan where they buried their weapons. The surrenders include a 17-year old male.
As a result, troops from the Davao de Oro PPO and three Army squads retrieved an M60 machine gun, a K3 light machinegun, an M203 grenade launcher, four M-16 automatic rifles and a claymore mine in the area last April 7.
“Those developments really show that the NPA is losing its manpower and firepower in Davao de Oro in particular and in Southern Mindanao in general,” said Luna.
