After ballooning “recovered NPA firearms” from series of fake encounters in Escalante City, Negros Occidental last February 2024, #DiMasaligan79IB of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recently handed over the said firearms to the Philippine National Police-Escalante City.

While the said turnover of firearms is applauded by the uniformed personnel, questions arose from the general public as firearms presented did not coincide with the reported “recoveries.” #DiMasligan79IB endorsed only 3 Carbine rifles, 2 Garand rifles, 1 M14 rifle, 1 .38 revolver, 4 Grenades, and assorted magazines/clips and ammunitions.

It can be recalled that the AFP falsely claimed 9 encounters occurred in Barangay Pinapugasan of the said city from February 21-27, where only one legitimate encounter happened at 11 am on February 21. Afterwards, they boasted recovering a total of 16 high-powered firearms and four low-powered firearms. The said “recoveries” were reported as follows: 1 M16 rifle, 1 M653 rifle, 1 AK47, 4 M1 Garand rifles, 2 M1 Carbine rifles, 1 M14 rifles, 4 low-powered firearms, 1 anti-personnel mine, 8 rifle grenades, 1 hand grenade from February 21-22 self-proclaimed encounters; and 3 Carbine rifles, 2 Garand rifles, 1 M14 rifle, 4 rifle grenades, and assorted magazines/clips and ammunitions from February 27 fake encounter.

The Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-Northern Negros Guerrilla Front of the New People’s Army (RJPC-NPA) challenges the AFP’s professionalism to report to the public, as well as turnover to the PNP, the remaining “recovered” firearms from AFP’s own claim of series of clashes in Escalante City.

Furthermore, we challenge the #DiMasaligan79IB to report other firearms legitimately recovered from the NPA after the February 21 encounter. Unreported recovered firearms from the NPA (commonly known as ‘savings’), especially those of high quality firearms, are a recurring practice among AFP units as corruption seeps through the mercenary elements from their higher-ups, particularly AFP’s commander-in-chief Marcos Jr.

Withholding or retaining other recoveries in AFP’s possession, whether legitimate or recycled, can be used by AFP in its deception tactics where units are deployed imitating NPA units but are mercenaries in nature or extorting business operators and landlords.###