Captured insurgent leads Military to NPA’s hidden weapons in Quezon

Quezon province map. INQUIRER FILES

LUCENA CITY — An alleged member of the New Individuals’s Military (NPA), who was captured final week, led authorities forces to a cache of firearms hidden by his comrades in Lopez, Quezon province.

Colonel Jeffrex Molina, chief of the Military’s 2nd Infantry Division (2nd ID) Public Affairs Workplace, reported that “Queen” guided troopers to the hidden weapons in Barangay Mal-ay on Sunday, April 6.

Authorities troops recovered an M16 rifle, two anti-personnel mines, 4 M16 magazines with 67 rounds of ammunition, 20 rounds of M14 ammunition, and various instruments and gear used within the manufacturing of improvised bombs.

Main Common Cerilo Balaoro Jr., 2nd ID commander, attributed Queen’s arrest to the continual counterinsurgency operations and intensified collaboration with native communities and former rebels.

“Their firearms, explosives, and warfare materiel are actually being recovered one after the other, stopping them from launching hostile actions towards our individuals,” Balaoro stated in a press release.

On March 27, Queen and a companion had been captured by policemen in Lucena Metropolis.

Investigators stated Queen had been tasked by the NPA to gather “permit-to-campaign” (PTC) charges from election candidates in Quezon province.

In earlier elections, the rebels reportedly demanded not solely money but additionally meals, rice, medicines, communication gear, and even firearms from focused candidates in trade for permitting uninterrupted marketing campaign actions inside areas thought of to be NPA strongholds.

Queen is listed as probably the most wished prison within the Calabarzon area (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon).

He’s dealing with six warrants of arrest for double murder, tried murder, a number of counts of tried murders, pissed off murder, and violation of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. INQ

READ: Military, NPA conflict in Quezon; 2 insurgent supporters captured