CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — Police and military troopers stumbled upon a quantitative amount of explosives and other supplies apparently abandoned by the communist rebels in a remote village of Gapan, Nueva Ecija over the weekend.
Police Colonel Fritz Macariola, Commander of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 3 (RMFB3) stationed in this regional police headquarters, said the items were discovered by troops on combat patrol at the mountains of Gapan City.
Macariola said a rebel returnee, who served as a guide of the operating units, pointed the place where supplies and other equipment had been buried by communist rebels before they fled.
“Our units tracked down the former NPA camp with the help of a rebel returnee who led us to the place,” said Macariola in a statement issued by the regional police headquarters.
He said policemen and military from the 84th Infantry Battalion dug up 25 kilos of rice, four containers of gasoline, two pieces of nine volts batteries, 10 pcs of blasting caps, 4 electric blasting caps, a timing fuse, two pcs toogle switch, six pcs resistors, two pcs crocodile clip, 60 mm mortar, materials use to make improvised landmines and other explosive ingredients wrapped in plastic.
Macriola declined to identify the rebel returnee for security reason. He said the former rebel who held a key position while in the underground movement revealed information of high-intelligence value.
Discovered items were placed under the custody of the RMFB3 for safe keeping, said Macariola while supervising follow-up operations.
“Our campaign against insurgency will remain enforce despite the threat of coronavirus,” said Macariola.