ANGELES CITY- The Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said it foiled plans of the New People’s Army (NPA) to “sabotage vital facilities” in Central Luzon when soldiers from the 56th Infantry Battalion dug up at about 6 a.m. yesterday a drum containing 16 high-powered rifles in Sitio Bulo Dam, Barangay Kalawakan, Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
This, even as Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Isagani Cachuela said he expects to declare the province of Bulacan as “cleared from the sphere of influence” of the NPA “much earlier than the 2010 deadline set by Pres. Arroyo.”
Cachuela said the NPA had buried the arms in the area, as he cited reports that the NPA rebels had planned to use them “to sabotage vital facilities in the region”.
The drum, he said, contained 14 pieces of M16 rifles, one M14 rifle, and one Garand rifle. The soldiers, led by 1st Lt. Benny Espanola, who found the drum, said the arms were in “good working condition”.
“Intelligence efforts coupled with support from the people of Bulacan province paved the way for the discovery of the war materials that could have been used to sabotage vital facilities in the region and harm the people,” Cachuela said.
Congratulating Espanola’s group for its accomplishment, Cachuela described the discovery as a “large cache of arms of the communist rebels”. He noted that the rebels in Bulacan had buried their arms in a drum because they no longer had enough manpower to carry them.
But he said that the buried arms were apparently stored for use later for “sabotage operations of some vital installations in the region”.
“This development will further boost the armed forces’ efforts to neutralize ragtag elements of the NPA that operate in Bulacan and eventually, declare the province as cleared from the terrorists’ sphere of influence much earlier than the 2010 deadline set by the President,” he said.
The 56th Infantry Battalion is based in Barangay Sapang Palay, San Jose Del Monte City and operates in the entire province of Bulacan.
This, even as Nolcom commander Lt. Gen. Isagani Cachuela said he expects to declare the province of Bulacan as “cleared from the sphere of influence” of the NPA “much earlier than the 2010 deadline set by Pres. Arroyo.”
Cachuela said the NPA had buried the arms in the area, as he cited reports that the NPA rebels had planned to use them “to sabotage vital facilities in the region”.
The drum, he said, contained 14 pieces of M16 rifles, one M14 rifle, and one Garand rifle. The soldiers, led by 1st Lt. Benny Espanola, who found the drum, said the arms were in “good working condition”.
“Intelligence efforts coupled with support from the people of Bulacan province paved the way for the discovery of the war materials that could have been used to sabotage vital facilities in the region and harm the people,” Cachuela said.
Congratulating Espanola’s group for its accomplishment, Cachuela described the discovery as a “large cache of arms of the communist rebels”. He noted that the rebels in Bulacan had buried their arms in a drum because they no longer had enough manpower to carry them.
But he said that the buried arms were apparently stored for use later for “sabotage operations of some vital installations in the region”.
“This development will further boost the armed forces’ efforts to neutralize ragtag elements of the NPA that operate in Bulacan and eventually, declare the province as cleared from the terrorists’ sphere of influence much earlier than the 2010 deadline set by the President,” he said.
The 56th Infantry Battalion is based in Barangay Sapang Palay, San Jose Del Monte City and operates in the entire province of Bulacan.
