CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro city – The series of combat operations by the troops under the 4th Infantry Division from March 28 – 30, 2022 have yielded one (1) Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) member surrendered and ten (10) firearms recovered.
On March 30, 2022, an encounter occurred between elements of 8th Infantry Battalion, 403Bde and an estimated five (5) CTG members at Sitio Bendum, Brgy Busdi, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon which resulted in the capture of one (1) M16 Rifle, assorted medicines and food supplies.
Meanwhile, on March 29, 2022, an 10-minute gun battle occurred between the troops of 36th Infantry Battalion (under the operational control of the 901Bde) and more or less 15 CTG members at Sitio Hubason, Brgy San Vicente Carmen, Surigao del Sur which resulted in the capture of one (1) M16 Rifle, one (1) Carbine Rifle, one (1) Cal .22 rifle with scope, and one (1) Cal .45 Pistol, four (4) IEDs and other war materiel.
On March 28, 2022, a CTG member identified as Mary Joy Gabon, 18 years old surrendered to 23IB, 402Bde and revealed to the troops the arms cache at Sitio Mahogany, Barangay Ibuan, Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte containing four (4) AK47 Rifles, One (1) M1 Garand Rifle, several AK47 magazines and live ammunitions. Mary Joy sustained wounds on her left calf after a series of encounters on February 04 and March 16 this year in Barangay Tungao, Butuan City,
4ID Commander Major General Wilbur C. Mamawag, lauded the troops for its unceasing dedication to cleanse communities of CTG infestation. He added that the whole Joint task Force Diamond, in cooperation with various stakeholders, will never allow the CTG to disrupt our peace and development endeavors in the barangays.
“We will not hesitate to use all available AFP assets, if necessary, to address every emerging CTG threat in the AOR. But what we preferred most is for our misguided brothers to peacefully return to their families to rebuild their lives under the Enhance Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Maj. Gen. Mamawag further stated.
