29/07/2026
INSURGENCY WEAKENS AS FOUR CTG MEMBERS YIELD, ARMS CACHE UNCOVERED IN LUZON AND VISAYAS
The Philippine National Police (PNP), under the leadership of PNP Chief, Police General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr., strengthened the government’s counterinsurgency campaign following the voluntary surrender of four Communist Terrorist Group (CTG)-affiliated individuals and the recovery of a CTG arms cache in separate joint operations conducted on July 17, 18, and 20, 2026 in Camarines Sur, Nueva Ecija, Samar, and Northern Samar.
The operations, carried out in partnership with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), further strengthened the government’s campaign to dismantle armed insurgency and encourage former rebels to return to the folds of the law.
On July 17, a former CTG leader voluntarily surrendered in Sipocot, Camarines Sur through the joint efforts of the 9th Special Action Battalion (9SAB), Special Action Force (SAF), Sipocot Municipal Police Station, Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office, other PNP units, and the AFP. The former rebel, who previously served as Liaison of Komiteng Probinsya 1 under the Bicol Regional Party Committee from 1999 to 2002 and later as Vice Commanding Officer of the National Security Forces under the Communist Party of the Philippines from 2003 to 2024, turned over one improvised hand gr***de, two flash drives, and one memory card. He is now under police custody for documentation and evaluation for possible enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
Three days later, on July 20, three more CTG-linked individuals voluntarily surrendered in Samar and Northern Samar through separate operations led by Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8, Regional Intelligence Unit 8, the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office, municipal police stations, and the Philippine Army. The surrenderers included a 75-year-old male Yunit Militia member, a former CTG member, and another male Yunit Militia member, who collectively turned over three caliber .38 revolvers and revolvers of unknown caliber, along with five rounds of live ammunition. All three are undergoing documentation and assessment for possible inclusion in the E-CLIP.
Meanwhile, on July 18, personnel of the 2nd Special Action Battalion (2SAB), SAF, together with the General Tinio Municipal Police Station, Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office, other PNP units, and the AFP, recovered a CTG arms cache in Sitio Labuyo, Barangay Rio Chico, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija based on information provided by a former CTG member. Recovered during the operation were one caliber .45 pistol, one improvised 12-gauge pistol, three rounds of 40mm high-explosive ammunition, three improvised anti-personnel mines, one hand fragmentation gr***de, five meters of commercial detonating cord, two kilograms of ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO), three magazines, 80 rounds of assorted ammunition, one bandolier, and food supplies, dealing another significant setback to the remnants of the CTG’s operational capability.
These accomplishments reflect the PNP Focused Agenda, a strategic framework for organizational transformation aimed at making police service more responsive, capable, and mission-driven. Central to these efforts is the key priority of Enhanced Managing Police Operations, reinforcing intelligence-driven operations and inter-agency collaboration to sustain peace, protect communities, and weaken the operational capacity of terrorist groups.
“Every surrender represents another life redirected toward peace and another opportunity to strengthen the security of our communities. These results affirm that sustained law enforcement efforts, combined with government reintegration programs, remain effective in addressing insurgency,” PGEN Nartatez said.
“Hindi lamang natin pinahihina ang mga armadong grupo, binibigyan din natin ng pagkakataon ang mga nais magbagong-buhay. Ang tunay na tagumpay ay kapayapaan,” he added.
PGEN Nartatez emphasized that the PNP remains steadfast in supporting the government’s whole-of-nation approach by encouraging former rebels to abandon armed struggle while relentlessly pursuing efforts to locate and recover weapons that threaten public safety.
As the PNP intensifies its internal security operations and reinforces partnerships to sustain lasting peace and national security under the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., it assures the public of “Bagong PNP para sa Bagong Pilipinas: Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat, at Nararamdaman.”
(PNP-PIO)