THE communist group suffered setbacks as several New People’s Army (NPA) units were dismantled by the troops after relentless operations of the 66th Infantry Battalion.
Captain Jerry Lamosao of the 10th ID Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) said in a statement that they have dismantled the Guerilla Front 27, Sub-Regional Command (SRC) 2, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) operating in the area of Compostela Valley through a series of operations which were conducted in the boundaries of New Bataan and Maragusan in Comval.
This resulted in the surrender of alias Caloy, the team leader, Abe Tersera of GF27 on March 28, one alias Michael said to be a Giya Pampulitika of GF27, and alias Kulot, a member of GF27.
Recovered was one M16A1 rifle with one magazine of ammunition.
Following their surrender, alias Ayang, also a Giya Pampulitika of GF2 and alias Cesar, the squad leader Primera of GF27 led the troops to where the Guerilla Front 2 was located.
In a separate operation on March 31, the scout platoon encountered the elements of GF 2 in the vicinity of upper Camanlangan, New Bataan Comval Province.
“The camp was overrun by the troops without any casualties while traces of blood indicated wounded or dead enemy terrorists but was carried away by their comrades. After the scouring, the following were captured from the enemy encampment: four laid dual purpose IEDs, one tube of M203 grenade launcher, 200 meters electrical wires, several blasting caps, three backpacks containing personal belongings and subversive documents and cooking paraphernalia. Pursuit operation followed suit,” Lamosao said.
On the same day, GF2 squad leader and former political instructor of GF27 alias Codince, likewise surrendered to the unit. He voluntarily led the troops to a cache of firearms in the vicinity of lower Camanlangan, New Bataan.
Seized were a caliber .45 1911 Norinco pistol and one magazine with ammunition and a caliber .45 1911A1 Colt pistol with a magazine full of ammunition.
According to alias Codince, these firearms were the primary weapons of the Special Partisan Unit (Sparu), the urban hit squad of the NPA operating in the area.
The troops discovered and captured another dual purpose IED, 50 meters of electrical wire, one blasting cap, eight batteries, medical kits and subversive documents at vicinity of Sitio Tuburan, Barangay Tandik, Maragusan Compostela Valley Province and two NPA encampments.
With the bulk of surrenderers coming from GF27 and GF2 who also tipped off the troops on the operation of the communists, it was learned that GF 27 has ceased to exist and its remaining six members were absorbed by the mother front, GF2, Sub regional committee 2.
They attested that since the death of alias Lepi, former front secretary of GF27, who was killed by 66IB, 10ID last year in Barangay Araibo, Pantukan ComVal province and the dismantling of their main guerilla bases in Maragusan municipality, Barangays Araibo, Las Arenas and Tagugpo of Pantukan, Comval province, the GF27 eventually bogged down.
Lieutenant Colonel Palmer M. Parungao, of the Army’s 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battalion said the significant development in their campaign is the result of their “effective conduct of community support program (CSP), intelligence operations, focused military operations and other lines of operations.”