Army uncovers M16A1 rifle in suspected rebel hideout in Bulacan

San Fernando City, Pampanga — Joint Task Group (JTG) 7-2 disrupted Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) operations in Bulacan after recovering an M16A1 rifle from remnants in Doña Remedios Trinidad on Wednesday, 5 November. The seizure marks the 18th firearm recovered in the province this year under the government’s counterinsurgency campaign.

Military reports showed that troops from the Philippine Army’s 70th Infantry Battalion, operating under JTG 7-2, unearthed the rifle buried in a shallow cache at Sitio Macua, Barangay Kabayunan. The operation followed tips from local residents about the weapon’s location.

Brigadier General Eugenio Julio C. Osias IV, JTG 7-2 head and commander of the 703rd Infantry Agila Brigade, hailed the recovery as proof of declining CTG influence. He said every rifle recovered is a testament to communities choosing peace, adding that their courage denies terrorists a foothold. He also expressed gratitude to the local populace for cooperating with the Philippine Army and providing information that helped locate the captured firearms.

The operation advances JTG 7-2’s campaign to dismantle CTG logistics in Central Luzon. Since January, the task group has recovered 18 firearms across Bulacan, secured the surrender of seven former rebels who are now enrolled in livelihood programs, and cleared 12 barangays of insurgent influence.

Osias vowed intensified patrols near Bulacan’s Sierra Madre borders, where CTG remnants allegedly regroup. He said the military will continue working with local governments and stakeholders to ensure lasting peace, underscoring the commitment to the Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) agenda.