TACLOBAN CITY– Government troops recovered five firearms following a clash with suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in an upland village in San Jose de Buan, Samar on June 9, 2025.
“With this recent seizure of firearms since May, we have not only degraded the communist NPA terrorists’ capability to sow fear among our communities, but we’ve also shown that armed struggle has no sanctuary in Samar,” Major General Adonis Ariel Orio, commander of the 8th Infantry Division (8ID) based in Catbalogan City said in a statement.
Orio added that the Army would continue to sustain its momentum, in tandem with socio-economic interventions, to bring lasting peace to the region.
According to Major Jefferson Mariano, 8ID spokesperson, troops from the 87th Infantry Battalion launched focused military operations in Barangay Can-aponte, San Jose de Buan, where they recovered four M16 rifles and a .45-caliber pistol. Also seized were a mobile phone, medical supplies, and personal belongings.
“The clash erupted after concerned residents reported the presence of armed men allegedly passing through a farm in the area,” he said.
Since the start of June, the Army has intensified its campaign against the NPA in Samar, resulting in the recovery of over 12 high-powered firearms, the deaths of eight alleged rebels, and the surrender of a certain alias “In-In,” identified as a key figure in the Sub-Regional Guerrilla Unit, Sub-Regional Committee Arctic, under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC).
(RONALD O. REYES)
