Army seizes NPA camp in Northern Samar

Wednesday 13th of June 2012

LOPE DE VEGA, Northern Samar, June 13 (PIA) -- Operatives of the 20th Infantry Battalion under the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army seized another New People’s Army (NPA) camp in Barangay E. Duran, Bobon, Northern Samar.

In a press statement, Lt. Colonel Noel Vestuir, 20IB’s commanding officer, said that civilian informants in the area has tipped in information about the presence of armed rebels who are conducting house to house visitation and collecting food from the residents in the barangays located the tri-boundaries of the municipalities of Bobon, Catarman and San Isidro of Northern Samar.

Reacting to said information, 20IB sent troops to verify the reported presence of communist rebels in the area.

On June 7, the troops under 2Lt. Al Peter Galula while approaching the forested area of Barangay E. Duran, chanced upon a group of more or less 10 rebels which resulted to an encounter that lasted for five minutes.

During the conduct of pursuit operations, another engagement took place between the said group and the troops led by 1Lt. Franchild Dusil on June 8. This was followed by two more encounters until the following day.

The series of encounter resulted to the capture of a rebel camp on June 9, Lt. Colonel Vestuir said. The said camp has 35 bunkers which can accommodate more or 70 people.

The recent accomplishments of the government troops against the NPAs in the first district of Northern Samar have disrupted the impending activities by the NPA.

Lt. Col. Vestuir said that the government troops has dislodged the NPA from their guerilla camps and cut-off their supply support lines that they forcibly take from the residents in the area.

He said that the fact that the discovery and seizure of the said camp in the area was made possible by the information provided by local populace, is a clear indication that enemy revolutionary organization has already alienated the people and the communities where they got their support through their forced extortion activities.

The 20IB’s Commanding Officer commended his troops for a job well done. He, likewise, extended his gratitude to the people of the area for the timely information provided to the soldiers. Lt. Col. Vestuir also called on the fleeing rebels to lay down their arms in order to once again live decent and normal lives together with their families. (EOT/PIA8)