53rd IB Troopers capture NPA books and documents

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (May 19, 2017) – Troops of 53^rd Infantry Battalion have captured a sack full of teaching materials, books and subversive documents believed to be owned by the members of the New Peoples’ Army on Wednesday (May 17), military official said.

Ltc Virgilio C Hamos Jr, Commanding Officer of 53^rd IB said that early in the morning, troops of Alfa Company, 53^rd IB under 1Lt Sotero P. Abrito III were participating in the Brigada Eskwela at the Elementary School in Brgy. Bagumbayan, Sergio Osmeña, Zamboanga del Norte when they noticed the sack at the back of a house near the vicinity of the school.

Mistaking it for trash left behind by the Brigada Eskwela participants, the troops decided to dump it to the dumping area when they noticed that it contained books, Hamos said.

Among the books that were found include several copies of “Primer Para sa Gawaing Paralegal Sa Kanayunan”, “Special Nga Kursong Pangmasa”, “Demokratikong Rebulosyon Sa Katawhan” and “Araling Aktibista”. These reading materials are known to be used by the NPAs in indoctrinating and training their recruits and mass bases.

Hamos expressed his concern on the possibility that the NPAs who left the materials were conducting recruitment and indoctrinations near the school, possibly targeting the school children.

“It appears that the NPAs are taking advantage of the innocence of the youths indiscriminate of their age”, he stated.