Rebels now abandoning heavy weapons due to lack of ammunition

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MANILA — Lacking sufficient ammunition for their heavy weapons, New People’s Army (NPA) rebels operating in the Eastern Mindanao Command area of jurisdiction are now starting to bury and abandoned these firearms.

This was announced by Lt. Gen. Aurelio Baladad after troopers from the 60th Infantry Battalion discovered a huge cache of NPA arms in Sitio Monica, Barangay Nuevo Iloco, Mawab, Compostela Valley last Dec. 6.

The military learned of the location of the rebel arsenal after being tipped off by an NPA surrenderee.

Recovered were:

— Five 60 mm mortar tubes with accessories;
— Three bi-pods, one base plate;
— Two 81 mm rounds;
— 80 pieces of blasting caps;
— one rifle grenade.

“The the mortar tubes were buried by NPAs as they are off use to them, because they have no ammunition and especially that they are being pursued by troops,” Baladad said.

He added that those who will surrender arms will likely receive a cash prize under the Guns for Peace Program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines aside from the livelihood and other assistance from the local government unit of Compostela Valley.