Yet communue suffering massive losses, the military said, as troops of the 17th Infantry Battalion of the Joint Task Force (JTF) Tala seized another arms cache and rebel propaganda materials in sitio Angkiram, Barangay Sicalao, Lasam, Cagayan on Tuesday.

Acting Commander of the Northern Luzon Command (NoLCom) Maj. Gen. Andrew Costelo said “Ka Frank”, a former member of NPA operating in Cagayan, who recently yielded to government on New Year’s Day “spilled” about the rebel cache.

Philippine Army’s 501st Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Steve Crespillo said one barrel of M16A1 5.55mm rifle, one barrel of M14 7.62mm rifle, two caliber of 38mm revolvers and two boxes of propaganda material were tucked in in the cache believed to be owned by the Komiteng Probinsya (KOMPROB) Cagayan-Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV).

Costelo expects more members of the NPA to surrender in the days to come.

Earlier on Saturday too, two high-powered firearms wrapped in plastic were seized in Sitio Daligan, Barangay San Juan, Rizal, also following a tip-off by “Ka Frank”. The M16A1 Elisco 5.56mm rifles wrapped in plastic were entrusted to “Ka Frank” by his comrades of the Komiteng Probinsya (KOMPROB) Cagayan-Komiteng Rehiyon-Cagayan Valley (KR-CV), the military said.