A HIGH-POWERED firearm seized from a recent clash in San Joaquin, Iloilo has been linked to the 2017 raid on the Maasin Police Station, the Philippine Army's 301st Infantry (Barayihan) Brigade said.
Brigadier General Michael Samson, the 301IB Commander, said this information during a presentation of recovered materials from the San Joaquin clash at the Police Regional Office-Western Visayas, Fort San Pedro, Iloilo City on March 4, 2024.
"Our forensic personnel found out that one of the M16 rifles seized from the clash in San Joaquin was among the weapons carted away by the Communist New People's Army (NPA) Terrorist (CNT) during their attack on the Maasin Police Station in 2017," Samson said.
While Samson did not confirm if any of the slain individuals in the clash were involved in the 2017 raid, he emphasized that the connection between the recovered firearm and the attack is established.
On June 18, 2017, approximately 50 CNT members attacked the Maasin Police Station, seizing several firearms, including eight M16 rifles.
The 301IB and PRO6 presented the captured war materials to the media, including four M16 rifles, an AK-47 rifle, magazines, bandoliers, backpacks and various ammunition.
Police Brigadier General Jack Wanky, acting regional director of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Western Visayas, and Prosecutor Flosemer Chris Gonzales, chairperson of the Legal Cooperation Cluster of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-Elcac)-Western Visayas, were also present during the presentation.
The leadership of the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division commended both the 301IB and their PNP counterparts for facilitating the identification of the firearm's origin.
Major General Marion Sison, 3ID commander, said the PNP counterpart is aiding in the identification of the origins of captured firearms, aiding in determining the individuals who used them and the specific crimes they were involved in.
"With this successful partnership, rest assured that your Army will continue to work with our PNP until we establish a Stable Internal Peace and Security in Western and Central Visayas,” Sison said.
This development highlights the ongoing collaboration between the military and police in the region and their efforts to combat the CNT and recover stolen firearms.
On Monday, March 4, the military encountered the CNT in Panay, with government troops from the 61IB in the hinterlands of Barangay Igsoligue, Miag-ao, Iloilo. (SunStar Philippines)