Lanao Norte gov warns village execs vs failure to back counterinsurgency campaign

ILIGAN CITY—-The governor of Lanao del Norte province warned village offficials in the province they faced serious legal consequences if they failed to report communist rebel presence or if they supported the insurgents.

Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo reminded village officials that it was their duty to provide support to the military and the government’s counterinsurgency campaign.

The governor made the statements after the discovery last week of a weapons cache supposedly belonging to New People’s Army guerrillas in a house in Kapatagan town.

Soldiers raided the house at the village of San Isidro on Dec. 2 and seized M-16 rifles, one AR18 rifle, one M203 grenade launcher, a caliber .38 pistol, 29 bandoliers, magazines for M-16 rifle, and 2,000 rounds of ammunition.

Lt. Col. Rolando Orengo, head of the Army’s 5th Mechanized Battalion, said government troops were led to the weapons cache by two NPA guerrillas who were arrested at a checkpoint in Dableston, Sultan Naga Dimaporo town midnight of Dec. 1.

Orengo identified the two as Christopher Cañete alias Glock, and Virjon Sagaysay alias Thunder.

The two were in possession of a caliber .38 pistol, an improvised explosive device, and a rifle grenade when arrested.

“Why were the barangay officials (of San Isidro) not able to report this to the military?” Dimaporo said.

She warned village officials against supporting the NPA, or else “they will face legal sanctions.”

Orengo had warned of NPA attacks in the runup to the observance of the 51st founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26.

The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.

Edited by TSB