Arakan, Cotabato – A joint special intelligence operation conducted by the 72nd Infantry (GABAY) Battalion on August 1, 2025, led to the successful recovery of a cache of war materiel buried by remnants of the dismantled Guerilla Front 57 of the New People’s Army (NPA). The operation took place in Sitio Ranso, Barangay Kulaman Valley, Arakan, Cotabato, near the Bukidnon boundary.
Recovered from the site were one M4 Carbine, one M16A1 rifle, 21 long and 3 short magazines for M16 rifles, approximately 500 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition, and an improvised explosive device (IED) equipped with a bomb switch. Authorities believe the items were buried by fleeing rebels in 2022 as the NPA’s Guerilla Front 57 collapsed under sustained military and local government pressure.
The breakthrough came following the disclosure of two former rebels — a couple belonging to the Indigenous Peoples (IP) community — who surrendered earlier this year. Both were part of the so-called “Agusan 8,” a group of Communist Terrorist Group members apprehended in Bunawan, Agusan del Sur on June 13.
Motivated by the 72IB’s consistent efforts to reintegrate former insurgents and the support provided by the Cotabato Provincial Government, the couple chose to cooperate, revealing the location of the hidden arms. The male surrenderee, identified only as “Tonton,” recounted the struggles they endured in hiding.
“We had long wanted to surrender because life in the mountains was difficult. We feared being caught in clashes that might cost our lives. My wife also suffers from a back injury she sustained in an accident while in hiding and never received proper treatment,” Tonton said in the vernacular. “We’re truly grateful to the 72nd IB for their care, and to the Cotabato local government and Kitaotao mayor for their unending support.”
In a touching show of solidarity, soldiers of the Gabay Battalion voluntarily raised ₱10,000 to help the couple celebrate the wife’s birthday on August 2. A boodle fight was held to commemorate not only the recovery of the weapons but also the symbolic peace achieved through voluntary surrender and reintegration.
Lt. Col. Pablo Masa-ad, commanding officer of the 72IB, said the operation has significantly weakened the logistical capacity of the now-defunct Guerilla Front 57 and reinforces the battalion’s efforts to maintain Cotabato’s status as NPA-free.
“This recovery shows the success of our whole-of-nation approach to peacebuilding. We will continue to work closely with the local government, former rebels, and communities to ensure there will be no more arms used for violence in Cotabato,” said Masa-ad.
The Provincial Government of Cotabato, under Governor Emmylou “Lala” Taliño-Mendoza, continues to provide logistical and welfare assistance to former rebels as part of the reintegration process, even as many face legal proceedings for past crimes.
The 72IB calls on all remaining insurgents to surrender, encouraging local communities and stakeholders to support the government’s peace and development programs to secure a lasting peace in former conflict-affected areas.