NPA disarms candidates who violated PTC
The NPA seized 11 firearms from four candidates and their armed bodyguards in four separate disarming operations between April 13 and 25.
The NPA stopped a mayoral candidate in Maayon, Capiz and seized his firearms on April 25 when he ignored reminders from the NPA Nonito Aguirre Sr. Command against bringing armed bodyguards into the guerrilla zones. He, along with another candidate without a permit-to-campaign (PTC), was intercepted at a checkpoint by Red fighters in Barangay Bungbungan, Maayon. Confiscated from his bodyguards were a Galil rifle and an Uzi machine pistol.
On April 19, Mayor Eduardo Balaod, a reelectionist in Tambulig, Zamboanga del Sur, was about to return home when he was intercepted at an NPA checkpoint in Barangay Upper Leyson. Because of his flagrant violation of the PTC policy, Red fighters of the Front Monterosa Command confiscated the weapons of his four police escorts and private bodyguards. The NPA seized two M16s, two 9 mm pistols and a .45 caliber pistol.
In the Caraga region, the NPA confiscated firearms from the mayor of Loreto, Agusan del Sur and his bodyguards on April 21. The NPA guerrillas under Front Committee 34 blocked the mayor and his bodyguards composed of two soldiers, two policemen and a CAFGU element in Sitio Budiangan, Barangay Kauswagan, Loreto. Seized from them were three M16s, an Ingram machine pistol, a .45 caliber pistol and a shotgun.
Prior to this, Red fighters under the Ka Bob Ruiz Command confiscated two .38 revolvers on April 13 from the two police escorts of mayoral candidate Armando Lunio in Sitio Greenfield, Barangay Sta. Juana, Tagbina, Surigao del Sur.
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