IN A series of successful operations spanning several days in late April, soldiers under the Eastern Mindanao Command and the Surigao del Sur police recovered a significant amount of firearms, ammunition, and other materials believed to belong to the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).
According to EastMinCom spokesperson Lt Col Salvacion Evangelista, the recoveries were a result of the information volunteered during the custodial debriefing of former CTG members.
The first major recovery occurred on April 24, 2025, in Sitio Han-ayan, Barangay Diatagon, Lianga.
Authorities credited this successful operation to intelligence gleaned from the custodial debriefing of an individual identified as Alias Marmar, a reported member of the Sentro de Grabidad (SDG) Sagradan Lanang (SL).
Two days later, on April 26, 2025, another arms cache was discovered in Sitio Panokmoan, Barangay Pakwan, Lanuza.
The operation, conducted by joint teams from the 3rd Forward Community Police Group (3FCPG) and the 7th Infantry Battalion (7SIB), resulted in the recovery of four AK-47 rifles with defaced serial numbers, an M-14 rifle, and 45 rounds of live ammunition.
The recovered firearms were believed to have been previously used for improvised explosive device (IED) training by communist guerrillas. Their location was volunteered by alias Linje, reportedly a member or remnant of the Former Guerrilla Unit (FGU) 17, Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) SL.
The latest recovery, on April 28, 2025, took place in the vicinity of Copper Purok 5, Barangay San Isidro, Marihatag.
A joint effort by the 8th Special Forces Battalion (8SFB), 9th Special Forces Battalion (9SFBn), and 35th Infantry Battalion (35IBn) led to the retrieval of a 7.62mm AK-47 rifle with a defaced serial number and a caliber 5.56mm M653 rifle with serial number 570139.
The military said Racelyn Acebedo, known as Mulan, Junrey Misolis, alias Hammer, and other former members of the SDG Southwestern Mindanao Sub-Regional Committee (SWMS) under the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC) gave the information leading to the recovery of the arms cache.
The EastMinCom said these successful arms cache retrievals represent a significant blow to the armed capabilities of the CTG in the Surigao del Sur region.
Photos courtesy of EastMinCom
