NPA Arms and Ammo Found, Three CNTs Surrender

H1003BDE, Bunawan, Davao City - An arms and ammo cache was discovered Tuesday, May 22, by the troops of 1003rd Brigade near the encounter site where the captured Communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) leader, Ka Jinggoy, was severely wounded last May 10 during a government raid of their encampment.

Troops of the 16th Infantry Battalion were patrolling Sitio Bulak, Barangay Kipilas, Bukidnon when they discovered the following items that were abandoned in a mountain slope in the said area: 1 cal .45 pistol,1 cal .357 revolver, 1 .9mm pistol,1 hand grenade, 6 magazines of assorted firearms,153 rounds of assorted ammunition,1 radio transceiver,1 radio charger-,3 destroyed M16 gun parts, 1 improvised switch for IED,2 improvised fuse for IED, personal belongings, medical equipment, and subversive documents.

The said items are assessed to have been left hastily by its owners who are members of the Pulang Bagani Company, after being surprised and overwhelmed by the raid last May 10 by government troops.

The same day of the arms cache’s discovery, three CNT members also surrendered to the 56th and 89th Infantry Battalions.

The surrenderers were identified as Onit Sigan-a Cayao, 35, a resident of Talaingod Municipality and a member of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 55; Racky Vin Mimi Sadigan alias Kibloy, 26, a Team Leader of the Segunda Baking, Front 2 under the Sub-regional Command 2 and a native of Compostela Valley Province; and Itay Mamboo Daay, 56, a Milisiyang Bayan member of the Pulang Bagani Company 1 and a native of Paquibato District, voluntarily surrendered with firearms.

Altogether, the three surrenderers yielded an M14 Cal 7.62 rifle, an M1 Carbine and a Garand Rifle, all with magazines and ammunition.

“The unusual nature of the surrenders and the nature of arms and ammo cache hastily abandoned strongly suggests and gives a glimpse of how the CNTs within the 1003rd Brigade’s area of responsibility is now very loosely controlled after a devastating tactical defeat further worsened by the capture and wounding of one of their most revered leaders, Ka Jinggoy," BGen Ernesto C Torres, Commander of 1003rd Brigade said.

“We expected these events to take place. We have offered our hands time and again, some took the offer, so we in the government gave what was for them, a life back in the mainstream society. As for those who still choose to fight, to them we reserve the demonstration of the might of the government as the emanation and expression of the people against peace spoilers.” he added.

Source: 1002rd Infantry Brigade, 10th Infantry Division, PA