2 NPA camps seized in Bukidnon, Agusan Sur
Government troopers overran two camps of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur following heavy fighting last week.
Col. Edgardo de Leon, 403rd Infantry Brigade commander, said Scout Rangers initially encountered around 40 NPA rebels at the boundary of Bukidnon and Agusan del Sur on Wednesday.
“The NPAs were working on a clearing that can accommodate 120 persons for a gathering or ceremonial area. Its makeshift facilities strongly indicate that it is being prepared as a venue for a huge gathering,” De Leon said.
He said the NPA camp had a multi-purpose hall, two kitchens and a water reservoir. Soldiers recovered a cellular phone, a generator set, electric wires and personal effects at the scene.
On Thursday, the soldiers clashed with another group of rebels a few kilometers away from the scene of Wednesday’s gunfight where a bigger NPA camp, which can accommodate 100 people, was seized.
The military said a rifle grenade, various types of ammunition, electrical wires, bomb materials, medical kits, backpacks which contained personal belongings and subversive documents were recovered.
De Leon said rebels who recently surrendered bared that food and other non-food items were brought to the NPA camps in preparation for the forthcoming anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.