BY VINCE JACOB VISAYA
CAMP MELCHOR DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela (December 8)—Army soldiers recovered a gun and assorted ammunition allegedly owned by New People’s Army rebels after a morning firefight in Barangay Maragat, Kabugao, Apayao on Tuesday, December 6, the military said on Wednesday.
Capt. Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division public affairs chief and information officer, said the 102nd Infantry Battalion soldiers seized an M-16 Armalite rifle, ten-piece M-16 bullets, a magazine, a notebook with confidential and subversive information, and a poncho. These were placed under the safekeeping of the battalion.
Army soldiers initiated a combat operation following a tip from villagers about the presence of an undetermined number of alleged communist rebels under the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-North Abra operating within the Apayao-Abra area.
A brief skirmish ensued and the rebels allegedly withdrew while the soldiers pursued them.
Pamittan said the support of Apayao officials “contributed to the campaign of the government to end the local communist armed conflict where the army troops will relentlessly chase the insurgents to achieve peace and progress in the province.”