A TOP leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) was arrested while one was killed in an encounter on Thursday, August 3.
Several high-powered firearms and ammunitions were also recovered by government troops in separate encounters on the same day.
Rhyan Batchar, 10th Infantry Division (ID) spokesperson, said the high-ranking leader of the NPA-Milisyang Bayan under Guerilla Front 51 was identified as Ariel Rebuta alias Siring.
He was nabbed around 1 a.m. during a dawn operation by the joint Army-Police team from the 39IB, Special Action Force (SAF) and Cotabato Provincial Police Office (CPPO) with an arrest warrant issued by a local court.
The government troops seized three M16 armalite rifles, 1,500 rounds of ammunition, and an IED with detonating switch.
Rebuta was arrested for illegal possession of unlicensed firearms in Purok Centro, Barangay Biangan, Makilala, North Cotabato and was brought to Makilala Police for filing of appropriate charges.
Around 10:40 a.m. on the same day, an encounter ensued between the 73IB and a group of NPA rebels at Sitio Malbag, Barangay Little Baguio, Malita, Davao Occidental, killing an NPA member.
The other NPA rebels fled to an unknown direction and left an M16 armalite rifle, officials said.
Colonel Roberto Ancan, 1002nd Infantry Brigade commander lauded the operating troops for the successful operation and acknowledged the significance of public’s cooperation in preventing further atrocities to be perpetrated by the lawless armed group (LAG).
"The information given by the populace in maintaining peace and order plays a vital role in the success of the operation," Ancan said.
Meanwhile, a series of armed encounters involving the troops of 25IB and the NPA rebels belonging to Guerilla Front (GF) 33 and Pulang Bagani Company (PBC) 4 also erupted at around 6:55 a.m.
Batchar added that the troops engaged in a 15-minute firefight against around 20 NPA combatants at Purok 6, Mayaon, Montevista, Compostela Valley Province.
Troops initially recovered four M16 armalite rifles, one M14 rifle, two M1 grenade rifles, one M2 carbine rifle, one caliber .38 pistol, several personal belongings, and subversive documents left by the fleeing rebels.
On that same day, a separate group of soldiers from 25IB who were running after the fleeing rebels from an earlier encounter in Montevista, Compostela Valley had a firefight with NPA rebels.
The incident led to the recovery by the 25IB troops of additional high-powered firearms comprising two M16 armalite rifle, two M14 rifle, two M1 garand rifle, one AK-47 rifle, an IED and several NPA personal belongings.
Lieutenant Colonel Ismale Mandanas, commander of the 25th IB said that during the encounter two soldiers sustained a slight wound while the fleeing NPA rebels were believed to have suffered heavy casualties as manifested by bloodstains seen in the encounter site.
Meanwhile, Major General Noel Clement, 10ID commander hailed the troops of the 25IB and the joint 39IB-Cotabato Police and 73IB for their accomplishment and urged them to continue with their mandate in protecting the communities vulnerable for any harassments.
"While we address the armed threats, we shall also intensify our support to the local government units by establishing communities that are conflict-resilient through our Community Support Program (CSP)," Clement said. (Juliet C. Revita)