Police and military personnel dug out improvised clamor mine devices and implements planted by suspected New Peoples Army in the remote Malibcong town in Abra recently.

The mine devices, if not discovered, could have claimed the lives of government forces and innocent civilians.

Acting on a tip by a villager, policemen aided by Philippine Army troopers overran a supposed secret war material depot of NPA rebels in Barangay Bayabas, Malibcong, according to Cordillera Police Command Chief Information Officer Arvin Fabro.

Fabro said the mine devices that were discovered are commonly used to blow up important government installations or vehicles that carry government personnel including security forces. 

Authorities believed the mine devices belong to the Larangang Gerilya North (Guerilla Front North) of the Abra Provincial Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Phillippines-NPA, codenamed “Serifa.”

Although authorities said they have no idea where exactly will the rebels use these, Fabro said it was a blessing these were discovered and will not anymore be used by lawless elements like the NPA.

Clamor mines were used during the Second World War as an anti-tank weapon.

Aside from the two clamor devices, at least 60 meters of firing wire were also dug by police and army troopers under a nipa-thatched hut in the village, believed to be a stronghold of NPA rebels in the area.

It was also in January last year when Benguet police operatives diffused land mines capable of blowing up a platoon of government troopers in a “killing zone” at the boundary of Mountain Province and Ilocos Sur.

The land mines were particularly planted by guerilla fighters in a ridge that connects Mabalite, Tadian, and Sitio Beto, Patiakan, Ilocos Sur, which is the site of previous ambushes against military operatives.