CATBALOGAN CITY — The Philippine Army on Wednesday disclosed that a member of the New People’s Army was killed while three high-powered firearms were seized during the Joint Focused Military Operation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in the hinterlands of Barangay Bagacay Palapag, Northern Samar last 18 March 2024.

Joint Task Force Storm spokesperson Capt. Jefferson Mariano narrated that the operation was conducted following the information given by concerned civilians that a group of armed men were seen passing through the outskirts of said barangay.

Mariano said the estimated 30 rebels belonged to the Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit and remnants of the dismantled Front Committee 15, Sub Regional Committee Arctic, Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee led by a certain Marchu Ocson alias Neri/Naya, which operates in Northern Samar.

A series of encounters ensued between the government troops and the communist guerillas that resulted in the recovery of one unidentified cadaver and seizure of three high-powered firearms, one anti-personnel mine, medical paraphernalia subversive documents and other war materials.

Clearing efforts are still ongoing and troops on the ground have seen heavy bloodstain along their route of withdrawal, which indicates that the rebels suffered heavy casualties.

JTF Storm and 8th Infantry Division commander Major General Camilo Ligayo said that the success of the operation was made possible through efforts to protect the barangays from the communist’s recovery efforts, extortion and intimidation.

“This is our strong response to the wishes of our people to free them from the continuous threats of the NPA terrorists. We will not rest, we will continue to hunt the communists anywhere, anytime. What they (NPAs) can do now and the option left for them is to lay down their firearms and go home to their families,” Ligayo said.