1003RD Infantry Brigade soldiers, acting on a tip from residents, seized a cache of firearms and ammunition during a search operation in Sitio Lieng, Barangay Lumintao, Quezon, Bukidnon on June 8.
The operation was launched to retrieve weapons left by the disbanded Weakened Guerilla Front (WGF) 57 of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) when they executed a strategic transfer from their temporary base in the general areas of Quezon, Bukidnon, to Surigao del Sur and Davao de Oro in the first quarter of 2024.
Fed up and tired of their existence, town residents eventually decided to seek help from the military and tipped off their location, leading to thirteen armed encounters in three months, from November 2023 to January 2024, the Army said.
During the search, the troops discovered a large, suspicious plastic drum buried in an isolated area. Upon verification, the drum was found to contain a cache of firearms and ammunition.
As a result, the troops seized 14 assorted high-powered firearms, consisting of eight M16A1 rifles, one M653 rifle, two M14 rifles, and three AK-47 rifles, along with assorted live ammunition and magazines.
In his message, Brig Gen Marion T. Angcao, commander of 1003rd Infantry Brigade, congratulated the persistence of the troops in their efforts to completely neutralize the threat group and confiscate their firearms and war materials.
“Even though the remnants of this group (WGF 57) are no longer in our Area of Responsibility (AOR), the seizure of their assets will significantly impact their will to fight. This indicates that the threat group is on the brink of its end,” Angcao added.
