By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD CITY – The Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) discovered a significant cache of firearms and ammunition at Sitio Mocabog, Barangay Washington, Escalante City, Negros Occidental this past Monday.
This discovery follows several encounters weeks prior with the now-disbanded Northern Negros Front (NNF-D), where three alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in Barangay Pinapugasan.
During follow-up operations in Barangay Washington, aligned with ongoing Focus Military Operations (FMO), soldiers excavated the arms cache acting on intelligence provided by local citizens.
Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Calaoagan, commanding officer of the 79th IB, credited the discovery to the troops and local citizens’ courage in providing prompt and reliable information, showing their repudiation of NPA actions.
“To the people of Northern Negros, be assured that your ‘Masaligan’ Troopers remain unwavering in our mission,” Calaoagan reassured the public.
“We are committed to maintaining the gains toward a stable internal peace and security scenario on Negros Island.”
He emphasized the continued dedication of the military, stating it stands as a warning to adversaries that the time to surrender is now or face the repercussions of their conduct.
Previous skirmishes with the NNF-D in Barangay Pinapugasan led to over a thousand locals being displaced, injuries to three military personnel and a militiaman, and the recovery of several high-powered weapons on February 21 and 22.
