Government troops from the Philippine Army’s 17th Infantry Battalion of the Joint Task Force (JTF) “Tala” discovered a food cache by the New People’s Army (NPA) along the vicinity of Sitio Darigan, in barangay San Juan, Rizal town in Cagayan.
Acting Commander of the Northern Luzon Command, Maj. Gen. Andrew Costelo said the military discovered the rebel food cache following a tip-off by local residents.
“The local residents of Barangay San Juan sought the help of our troops by reporting the food cache after they were sicked-and-tired of the lies and deceptions of the communist terrorists in their peaceful communities,” Costelo said.
Brig. Gen. Steve Crespillo, Commander of the Isabela-based 501st Infantry Brigade said, the troops recovered a total of 40 kilos of rice believed to have been forcibly taken by rebels from local residents.
Soldiers from the 17th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Angelo Saguiguit were hailed for “going an extra mile with their civil-military cooperations and intensive information-gathering that led to the discovery of the food cache.”
