CARMEN, Surigao del Sur — The troops of the 36th Infantry “Valor” Battalion (36IB) recovered the following firearm, subversive items/documents, and war materials after the 15-minute firefight against the communist terrorist group, in the vicinity of Barangay Esperanza, Carmen, Surigao del Sur on April 15, 2023 to mention:
one (1) light Machine Gun M60,
300 rounds linked 7.62mm,
one (1) Dell Core i7 laptop,
one (1) GoPro body cam,
one (1) Baofeng Handheld Radio,
assorted war materials and
personal belongings.
In a press statement, the troops of 36IB immediately responded, to the report received from the community on the presence of armed rebels in the area, and a combat operation was implemented, resulting to the exchange of fire around 3:20 p.m. on the same day.
The government troops encountered around 25 members of the communist terrorist group of Sentro de Grabidad 16 (SDG 16) led by Nicolas Francisco Jr also known as Chongbian/Chong and Squad 3, Platoon 1, weakened guerilla front 30, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee under the leadership of Bernabe Pamad also known as “Depor”.
36 Infantry “Valor Battalion Commander Lt. Colonel Rey Reuyan reiterated that the recovery of the firearms in the encounter site in Carmen town was the result of the cooperation and support gained from the communities to the government, which led to successful relentless operations of his troops to protect and secure the people.
“Nagpapasalamat kami sa suporta at impormaasyoing ibinhagi ng mga taga Carmen, Surigao del Sur upang ating matunton ang ang pinagtataguan ng mga teroristang grupo [ We thank the support and information shared by the locals of Carmen, Surigao del Sur for us to locate the terorist group],” Reuyan stated.
The official urge the people of Surigao del Sur to support their mission on peace and order that will lead to a progressive province.
“Nawa’y patuloy ninyong susuportahan ang ating mga kasundaluhan sa ating misyon na panatilihin ang kapayapaan sa Surigao del Sur [ Hoping that you will continue to support the soldiers in our mission to sustain peace in Surigao del Sur ], ” Reuyan noted. (with a report from 36IB/PIA-Surigao del Sur
