bringing along one (1) cal. 45mm pistol with Serial Number: 714691, one (1) magazine loaded with four (4) ammunitions, one (1) cal. 38mm pistol loaded with five (5) ammunitions, one (1) Improvised Explosive Device (IED) with one (1) blasting cap and fifty (50) meters electrical wire. The surrender of the two (2) NPA terrorists came after two (2) Milisyang Bayan members yielded to Alpha Company of this unit earlier this week with their firearms.
The Army troopers conducted series of Focus Military Operations (FMO) after the termination of ceasefire. This resulted to an armed engagement with the government troops against the elements of the NPA terrorists in Sitio Spur Dos, Barangay Ngan, Compostela CVP on January 9 2018 which led to the recovery of several war materiel. The unit’s sustained efforts prompted the said NPA members to surrender bringing along with them the war materials as enumerated.
“The 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battalion, continually runs after the NPA terrorists groups operating in the unit’s area of operations (AO). We have been successfully reducing the manpower and equipage of our adversaries. This is manifested by our notable accomplishments for the whole year of 2017 which yielded to forty-four (44) firearms and three hundred nineteen (319) NPA armed and mass members neutralized. Significant to this, is the neutralization of Rodel D.Lumangtad AKA Lepi, Front Secretary, GF 27, SRC2, SMRC which preluded the breakdown of leadership of GF 27, operating in the municipality of Maragusan, CVP, which further led to the cut-off in the NPA resource generation network and activities in the AO. Meanwhile, this has been one of the unit’s ground in winning the masses as magnified by the influx of surrenders both from the regular armed members and its mass organizations as they continue to come on our side. In the same manner, we had denied the NPA from access to their mass bases which will eventually lead to its breakdown in the near future.” LTC PALMER M PARUNGAO of the Army’s 66th Infantry (Kabalikat) Battalion said.
“We had gained the initiative in the ground through the implementation of the Community Support Program (CSP). CSP has been our vital tool that led to our gains in the part Compostela Valley Province. This is a clear manifestation that we are in the edge towards the realization of our campaign in establishing conflict resilient communities within the 66th IB area of operations. With the effort and contribution of our soldiers in the conduct of CSP, and other Lines of Operations, the army will make great strides towards our objectives” PARUNGAO added.