By Jennifer P. Rendon
Assorted firearm magazines and ammunition were recovered from an alleged New People’s Army (NPA) encampment in Miag-ao, Iloilo.
Captain Francis Donne Lomahan, Miag-ao police chief, said he was informed about a backpack containing ammunition around 6 p.m. on August 16 in the hinterland village of Igcabito-on, about 18 kilometers from the town proper.
Members of the Miag-ao Municipal Police Station, along with the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company, arrived at the scene at around 6:43 a.m. on August 17.
They recovered a bandolier, four magazines for an AK-47 assault rifle, three long magazines for an M16, eight short magazines for an M16, ammunition for caliber 5.56 and AK-47 rifles, an M203 grenade, a plastic container for a rifle grenade, a magazine pouch, four jungle hammocks, a firearm cleaning kit, two backpacks, three empty butane cans, two butane burners, two tents, cooking utensils and spices, a medical kit, assorted personal belongings, toiletries, and several subversive documents.
Lomahan said the rebels may have left their belongings in haste following a series of encounters in March 2024.
He noted that the encampment was located in an upland, vegetated area, providing a strategic vantage point for its occupants.
Lomahan added that the site was ideal for an encampment, as there were no residents within several kilometers.
