Army captures 2 suspected NPA rebels, seizes 18 assault rifles

KIDAPAWAN CITY—Government security forces arrested two suspected communist rebels and seized from them over a dozen assault rifles here on Friday.

Colonel Harold Argamosa, commander of the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion, said the two men—who initially claimed to be farmers when accosted—were caught around 5 a.m. after burying 18 pieces of M-16 Armalite rifles and two hand grenades in Barangay Katipunan.

“They were surprised, they did not expect us and about 50 meters from where they were accosted was the guns’ burial site,” Argamosa said.

He identified the two suspected New Peoples’ Army guerillas as Wowie Tagapia Boton, 19; and George Landungan Cuyo, 20, both residents of Barangay Katipunan.

Argamosa said the village was listed in the military’s “hot spot” due to heavy presence of communist guerillas belonging to the Guerilla Front 53.

He said the arrest of the two NPA members has validated an earlier intelligence report indicating the presence of two men with huge number of firearms in the village.

“The 18 Armalite rifles were placed in two separate drums. I would like to commend the informant, who provided us the timely and accurate information,” Argamosa said. JPV