TACLOBAN CITY —Government troops under the 63rd Infantry Battalion overran a New People’s Army (NPA) encampment in an upland village of Llorente, Eastern Samar, following an hour-long gun battle with suspected communist rebels.
According to a report from the 8th Infantry Division’s Public Affairs Office, soldiers launched the operation after receiving information from residents about armed men allegedly extorting food and supplies from civilians.
The armed group was identified as remnants of the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Sesame of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC), which has been weakened by successive military operations in recent years.
Troops recovered two M16 rifles, a .45 caliber pistol, ammunition, magazines, subversive documents, five backpacks, and other war materials from the abandoned camp.
Major General Adonis Ariel Orio, commander of the 8th Infantry Division, credited the success of the operation to the cooperation of local communities, saying it reflects the growing unity between the public and the security sector in countering communist influence in the region.
“The courage of our people to stand against intimidation and provide critical information reflects the unity of the community and government in putting an end to the abuses of the Communist Terrorist Group,” Orio said.
He urged remaining rebels to lay down their arms and rejoin their families, emphasizing the government’s offer of reintegration support. “There is no honor in wasting innocent lives in a lawless fight. The government has better plans for you. Surrender now while you still can,” Orio added.
The clash highlights the military’s continuing campaign to dismantle the remaining guerrilla fronts of the communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas—once a stronghold of the New People’s Army but now significantly weakened by sustained security operations.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
