Tacloban: The military has unearthed an arms cache belonging to the New People's Army (NPA) in the upland Canca-iyas village in Basey, Samar, as part of the government forces' efforts to dwindle rebel forces in the region. The Philippine Army's 63rd Infantry Battalion (63IB) reported on Friday that soldiers unearthed on Thursday an M1 Garand rifle and the banned anti-personnel mine. Lt. Col. Eduardo Meclat Jr., commander of the Army's 63rd Infantry Battalion, said information provided by surrendered and captured former rebels from the Bugsok platoon has led to the recovery of the arms cache. 'The NPA's Bugsok platoon has been severely weakened, following the loss and capture of key personnel and the surrender of seven former members. The platoon now consists of only nine fighters, dispersed in the remote areas of southern Samar,' Meclat said in a statement. The official added that the Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families program has encouraged active platoon members to abandon the communist g roup. The initiative has been tapping family members of active NPA combatants and former rebels to negotiate for their surrender. Brig. Gen. Noel Vestuir, commander of the Army's 802nd Infantry Brigade, commended the troops for gaining the trust and cooperation of former NPA members, local government units, and the community. "Through the concerted efforts of the Brigade's units over the past three days, our troops successfully discovered and seized four high-powered firearms and an anti-personnel mine. These include an AK-47 and M16 rifle in Eastern Samar, a Garand rifle and explosives in Samar, and another M16 rifle in Leyte," Vestuir said. The continued recovery of NPA arms caches signals a major blow to the insurgency, as military operations further weaken the rebels' capacity to continue their armed struggle, according to Vestuir. Source: Philippines News Agency