DIGOS CITY, Philippines — Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels raided the house of Mayor Jimmy Joyce of Jose Abad Santos town in Davao Occidental on Sunday morning, carting away firearms.
Senior Supt. Michael John Dubria, provincial police director, said some 60 rebels arrived at Joyce’s house in the village of Culaman in Jose Abad Santos town at around 5 a.m. Sunday.
Joyce and his family were not around when the rebels arrived and took at least 11 homemade shotguns before fleeing toward the mountainous area of Barangay Caburan Small.
Lt. Renz Duazo, head of the 73rd Infantry Battalion augmentation team, said the raid could be a diversionary tactic of the NPA as soldiers pursue rebels in nearby Malapatan, Sarangani province.
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