MANILA - Government troops have captured two encampments of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in separate combat operations in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro and General Nakar town in Quezon province late last month, the Philippine News Agency reported.
In his report, 2nd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Fernando Mesa said that Reconnaissance Platoon of 4th Infantry Battalion while on combat operations seized and cleared an abandoned NPA camp without enemy resistance at Sitio Kulitob, Barangay Balug, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro.
In a separate report to Solcom chief Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, Mesa reported that Scout Ranger troops led by Lt. Bermundo discovered an abandoned NPA encampment at Barangay Umiray, General Nakar, Quezon that can accommodate more or less 100 rebels.
Payson
said the camp has 10 huts of different sizes, six electric posts, 25
meters firing range, a basketball court (dual purpose — suitable
for lecture area), water supply/source and strong cell phone signal
in its vicinity.
Prior
to the discovery of the NPA camp, elements of 11th Special Forces
Company, Special Forces Regiment of the Army’s Special Operations
Command led by SSg Tiauso, raided a suspected NPA safe house owned by
a certain Bimboy Cantong at Sitio Campo, Barangay Umiray, General
Nakar town in Quezon.
The
raid resulted to the recovery of a Sharp In-Focus LCD Projector Model
XR-15 with accessories, a handy DVD player Model text base MDV7 with
remote control, two 10-minute three-gang outlet extension wire, one
floppy disk, and six small CDs.
The
military described the Quezon camp as “one of biggest bases” of
the NPAs in Luzon. It is also believed to be the site of “kangaroo
courts" that ordered the assassination of former rebel leaders
Arturo Tabara and Rodolfo Kintanar several years ago.
Documents
allegedly referring to the assassination orders were found at the
camp, the military said.
Soldiers
said the camp was fully equipped as a training area for NPA recruits.
The camp had 10 separate huts, a firing range, a basketball court,
lecture area and a water supply system.
The
military said the camp was the general headquarters of the NPA’s
Kilusang Larangang Guerilla under a certain “Ka Allen.”
More
than 30 NPA members supposedly occupied the camp but abandoned it
after soldiers arrested a suspected guerilla named “Dinboy Gantong”
in Barangay Umiray in General Nakar on August 29.
Gantong
was arrested with several CDs, a DVD player and projectors pointing
to the said camp as the NPA’s nerve center in the area.
Maj.
Rodolfo Tayson, deputy spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command, said
the captured camp was merely an alternative base for the NPA in
Quezon. He said the rebels used camp as a temporary base.
The
NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. It
has been waging insurgency from the countryside for nearly four
decades.
