SORSOGON CITY -- Government offensive against the three - decade old insurgency problem has gained ground following the recent recovery of an arms cache and communication equipments belonging to the communist New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Sorsogon, a ranking police official said yesterday.

        Police Senior Supt. Joel Regondola, Sorsogon police director, said joint police and military operatives in separate internal security operations recovered thousands of rounds of ammunition, various assault rifles, magazines, and communication equipments left by NPA guerillas in coastal villages of the towns of Juban and Castilla.

        Regondola said government forces conducting combat operation recovered on Sunday at sitio Batang, brgy. Sablayan a coastal village in Juban, Sorsogon, a motorized banca loaded with 1,000 rounds of ammunition for M60 caliber machine gun, 900 rounds of M16 bullets, 165 rounds AK47 bullets, 15 clips ammunition for Garand rifle, seven plastic magazines for M16 rifle and propaganda leaflets titled “Ulos.”

        While in Magallanes town on Sunday, government forces in an encounter with NPA rebels in sitio Bayawas, Brgy. Salvacion recovered a 9MM handgun with magazine assembly, eight long and two short magazines for M16 rifle, four rifle grenades, a Binocular, three Icom radios, three rolls of electric wires, two detonating switch, three improvised landmines, and subversive documents.

        Similarly in Castilla town on Tuesday government forces while on combat patrol recovered in brgy. Bungsuran 120 rounds of ammunition for M16 rifle, a short magazine for M16 rifle, five units base radio and a portable charger for radio handsets. These items were believed left by NPA rebels fleeing the area due to the offensive launched by the military and police.

        Regondola said the ammunition and communication equipments seized by police and military operatives were part of the arms cache build-up by the communist movement under the Jose Rapsing command to sow terror by attacking police and military personnel, civilians and vital infrastructure facilities in Sorsogon province.

        He also said the NPA’s arms build-up might be their preparation for the upcoming Barangay and SK election this October.