The Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) based in Tanay, Rizal announced on Thursday that its troops had discovered a significant New People’s Army (NPA) arms cache in Labo town, Camarines Norte.
In a statement, 2ID spokesman Lt. Col. Jeffrex Molina said soldiers of the 16th Infantry Battalion operating under the 201st Infantry Brigade, uncovered the firearms in Barangay Exciban, with assistance from a former rebel.
“The discovered cache contains one Ultimax light machine gun, one M-653 rifle, one M-14 rifle, seven M-16 A1 rifles, 14 magazines, 16 hand grenades, two rolls of detonating cord, 4,211 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, and 715 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition,” Molina said. He acknowledged the support of the local police in the operation.
Meanwhile, 2ID chief Maj. Gen. Cerilo Balaoro Jr., said the seizure of this NPA weaponry highlighted the effective collaboration between government forces, former rebels, and the local community.