Weapons, ammunition, explosives allegedly belonging to CTG recovered in Cagayan, Isabela

Police and military personnel recovered firearms, more than 1,200 rounds of ammunition, explosives and other war materials believed to belong to the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in separate operations in Cagayan and Isabela on October 15.

In Gattaran, Cagayan, personnel of the 2nd Cagayan Provincial Mobile Force Company recovered an M14 rifle, ammunition and explosives in Sitio Rissic, Barangay Mabuno, following information provided by a former rebel identified by the alias “Arman.”

Police said Arman reported the location of a suspected arms cache in the mountainous area of the village.

The recovered items included an M14 rifle, 116 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, two high-explosive rifle grenades with canisters, two non-electric blasting caps and 12 pages of documents.

In a separate operation in Barangay Old San Mariano, San Mariano, Isabela, personnel of the 201st Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 2, together with other police units and intelligence operatives of the Philippine Army's 95th Infantry Battalion, recovered additional ammunition and explosives.

Authorities located the items after a surrendered CTG member identified by the alias “Makmak” provided information about their location. The materials were found buried in a densely vegetated portion of the forest.

The recovered items included 1,085 rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition, a bandolier, two commercial explosive charges weighing 400 grams each, 12 meters of orange commercial detonating cord and 1.7 meters of time fuse.

The recovered firearms, ammunition and explosives were placed under the custody of the Philippine National Police's Provincial Explosive and Canine Unit in Cagayan and Isabela for examination and proper disposition.

PRO 2 Regional Director PBGen Mariano C. Rodriguez commended the police and military personnel involved in the operations, saying the recovery of the materials could help prevent violence and protect communities.

Rodriguez said the regional police would continue intelligence-driven operations in coordination with the Philippine Army, other law enforcement agencies, former rebels and local residents to address security threats in the Cagayan Valley region.