Camp Crame, Jan. 30, 1998 -- Government forces, backed up by two helicopter gunships, took over a sprawling communist rebel camp in the resort town of Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, last week.
Philippine National Police Headquarters received a delayed report on the take-over from Chief Superintendent Hercules Cataluna, Southern Tagalog police director, who described the successful operations by composite police forces.
The camp, in the mountainous area of Barangay Dulangan, was guarded by heavily-armed sentries at several observation posts overlooking the national highway. The guard shot it out with government troopers while their comrades inside the camp took advantage of the encounter to disappear into the thick forest beside their encampment.
Elements of the Special Action Force and the Provincial Mobile Group cleared the area and established their own command post right inside the captured NPA camp.
Reported by: Sol Jose Vanzi
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