Biggest NPA bomb-making factory and ammunition depot in Mindanao overran by military

By Ronron
January 25, 2007

What is believed to be the biggest bomb-making factory and ammunition depot of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindanao was discovered by government troops on Wednesday in Surigao del Sur after an encounter, a military spokesman said yesterday.

Maj. Ernesto Torres, Jr., spokesman of the Philippine Army, said the NPA camp, called Greenfields, was discovered at a cave in Sitio Greenfields, Barangay Sta. Juana in Tagbina town after a brief firefight ensued between elements of the 36th Infantry Battalion (IB) and suspected rebels.

“Greenfields is believed to be the Regional Guerilla base of the communist terrorists (CT) led by CT leader Jorge Madlos, alias Ka Oris, where regional training and CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) anniversaries are being held,” Torres said.

He said troops of the 401st Infantry Brigade and the 36th IB found at the cave “several bomb-making and ammunition reloading equipment including 42 plastic containers of Syperdyne dynamite explosives that could produce about 250 pieces of eight-kilogram landmines; 18 pieces of claymore mines; an M14 rifle; and M16 rifle; a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) launcher; two mortar base plates; a B40 anti-tank weapon base plate; a set of rifle ammunition reloading machine; 13mm electric drill press machine; 76 pieces of M60 machinegun ammunition; detonating wires; and two pieces of expanders.”

Some 100 plastic containers of Syperdyne dynamite explosives are yet to be dug, said Torres, because these are being buried under thick foliage.

Just last January 18th, Torres said government troops also recovered at the southeastern part of the Greenfields an RPG launcher, a B40 anti-tank weapon, a motorcycle, four volumes of the NPA’s “Ang Bayan” publication, four “Lingkawas” magazine, and other items allegedly belonging to Madlos also after a brief encounter.

“The capture of the CT factory will definitely degrade the CT bomb-making capability in Mindanao. The discovery of the huge explosive depot/factory has also evidently proved that the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army should remain to be tagged as an International Terrorist Group,” Torres said.

He said government troops continue yesterday to run after the guerillas in Tagbina, with the support of UH-1H and two MG520 helicopters.

No casualties have so far been reported in the operations.

But at the same time, Torres said the local military leadership has coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and local government units for the rehabilitation of Sitio Greenfields.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla war in the countryside in the last 37 years. The Arroyo government vowed to wipe it out in 2010.

Peace talks with the group bogged down in August 2004 after it received the terrorist tag from foreign governments./DMS