A former communist rebel led authorities to a concealed stockpile of firearms, ammunition, and explosives buried in the mountains of Baggao, Cagayan, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced following an operation conducted on October 1, 2026.
The former rebel, identified only by the alias "Gary" and described by the government as a former member of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG), disclosed the location of the cache at Sitio Tagang, Barangay Bunugan, prompting a joint law enforcement and military operation to recover the hidden war materials.
Multi-Agency Team Conducts the Retrieval
The 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company led the search, validation, and inventory operation, according to the PNP. The unit was supported by the Baggao Police Station, the 204th Maneuver Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion 2, the Philippine Army's 17th Infantry Battalion, the Police Intelligence Unit, the Cagayan Police Provincial Office, and the Regional Intelligence Unit 2–Provincial Explosive and Canine Unit (RIU2-PECU) Cagayan.
The involvement of multiple law enforcement and military units underscored the scale of the coordinated response triggered by the tip from the former rebel member.
Firearms, Grenades, and a Subversive Document Seized
Police listed the following items recovered from the hidden cache:
- One M1 Garand rifle and one Garand magazine
- Three short M16 magazines
- 40 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition
- 12 rounds of caliber .30 ammunition
- Five rounds of caliber .45 ammunition
- Two rounds of 9mm ammunition
- Two M76B high-explosive rifle grenades with bullet trap
- One 12.4-volt Yuasa battery and four 1.5-volt Eveready dry cells
- One document described by police as subversive
The explosive items — including the two M76B grenades and associated components — were placed under the custody of PECU Cagayan. The remaining firearms, ammunition, and materials were turned over to the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company for documentation and proper disposition, the PNP said.
PNP Chief Cites Intelligence Value of Former Rebel Cooperation
PNP Chief Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. credited the recovery to actionable intelligence, emphasizing that information from former armed group members has proven critical in locating weapons before they can be deployed.
"This recovery underscores the importance of reliable information in locating hidden weapons and preventing them from being used for unlawful activities. We will remain resolute in securing firearms and war materials that could threaten the safety of our communities," Nartatez said.
In a separate statement in Filipino, Nartatez said tips from former members of armed groups have been a major factor in identifying weapons caches across the country, and he called on the general public to continue cooperating with police to help keep their communities safe.
Operation Tied to PNP's Focused Agenda
The PNP said the Baggao operation falls under its Focused Agenda, specifically the Enhanced Managing Police Operations component. According to the PNP Public Information Office, this initiative prioritizes the location, securing, and accounting of loose firearms and other war materials that pose a threat to public safety.
The recovery is part of a broader national effort by the PNP to neutralize the operational capacity of the CTG by cutting off access to weapons and other resources used in armed activities.
By the Numbers
- October 1, 2026 — date of the weapons recovery operation
- 1 M1 Garand rifle recovered from the cache
- 2 M76B high-explosive rifle grenades with bullet trap seized
- 40 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition recovered
- 12 rounds of caliber .30 ammunition recovered
- 5 rounds of caliber .45 ammunition recovered
- 2 rounds of 9mm ammunition recovered
- 8 agencies and units participated in the joint operation
- 1 document classified as subversive also retrieved
Why This Matters
The recovery demonstrates that former communist rebels willing to cooperate with authorities can provide intelligence capable of dismantling hidden weapons networks before those arms reach active combatants. The seizure of functional explosives, firearms, and a subversive document in a remote mountain sitio in Cagayan illustrates the continued presence of CTG material infrastructure in northern Luzon. PNP Chief Nartatez's public appeal for community cooperation signals that law enforcement regards civilian tip-offs as a central — not supplementary — tool in its counter-insurgency and public safety operations.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of PNP Public Information Office