RECOVERED. Lt. Col. Joseph Bugaoan, commander of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion, checks the firearms and ammunitions found on Thursday (Oct. 3, 2024). Acting on a tip-off from a former rebel, soldiers facilitated the surrender of two active New People’s Army (NPA) remnants and recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition in Eastern Samar, the Philippine Army reported on Friday (Oct. 4). (Photo courtesy of Philippine Army)
TACLOBAN CITY – Acting on a tip-off from a former rebel, soldiers facilitated the surrender of two active New People’s Army (NPA) remnants and recovered a significant cache of weapons and ammunition in Eastern Samar, the Philippine Army reported on Friday.
Soldiers from the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion received information from alias Apolonio, a former Yunit Militia member of the NPA who identified two active NPA members hiding in Abejao village in Salcedo, Eastern Samar.
"In a decisive intelligence-driven focused military operation, our soldiers successfully tracked down and persuaded two key remaining NPA members to surrender, leading to the recovery of significant war materials on Oct. 3, 2024," said Lt. Col. Joseph Bugaoan, commander of the Army’s 78th Infantry Battalion, in a statement.
Apolonio informed about the location of Lilio Betasolo Jacobe, alias Baoy, vice squad leader of NPA’s Apoy Platoon Squad 2, and Enorio Afable Aquilla, alias Rokles, a member of the same squad. Both rebels surrendered in Abejao village in Salcedo town.
These individuals were involved in a clash with government forces on July 25, 2024, in Osmeña village, General MacArthur, Eastern Samar, where their leader, Joel Guarino, alias Duran," was killed.
Following their surrender, Jacobe and Aquilla revealed the locations of hidden arms caches in the villages of Osmeña and Laurel, General MacArthur, Eastern Samar.
The operation resulted in the recovery of two M16 rifles, two M14 rifles, one M1903 caliber .30 Springfield rifle, and one AK-47 rifle.
Soldiers also seized hundreds of rounds of ammunition, several magazines, personal belongings, and subversive documents of high intelligence value.
"Two lives were saved from the grip of a dead ideology. It's only a matter of time before all members of the NPA subregional committee will be neutralized," Vestuir said.
The success of this operation is credited to the efforts of the Army’s 802nd Infantry Brigade in conducting comprehensive debriefings with former rebels and implementing the Friends Rescued Engagement through Their Families (FReE Families) program.
The program optimizes the local government’s efforts to link and convince the remaining NPA members through the active participation of the rebels’ families to work for the peaceful surrender of their loved ones and take advantage of the benefits through the Enhanced Local Integration Program.
Vestuir urged the remaining NPA members to surrender and “embrace peace.” (PNA)
