THE Cagayan Police Provincial Office (Cagayan PPO) recorded two major operational breakthroughs following separate reports from local residents and a former rebel, highlighting the impact of strong community intelligence in law enforcement.
Off the coast of Aparri West on September 18, 2026, a 41-year-old fisherman identified as alias “Enteng” discovered a floating package while fishing approximately 12 kilometers from the shoreline.
Demonstrating civic responsibility under the PNP’s Project SPIES (Strengthening Police Initiatives and Empowering Stakeholders), the fisherman immediately surrendered the item to the PNP Western Cagayan MARPSTA and Aparri Police Station.
Subsequent inspection and inventory, conducted alongside local barangay officials, confirmed the package contained one kilogram of vacuum-sealed dried marijuana valued at standard drug price of ₱120,000.
A day prior, on September 17, joint security forces raided a mountainous area in Barangay Dungeg, Santa Ana, uncovering a hidden Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) arms cache.
The operation—led by the 2nd CPMFC Revitalized Pulis sa Barangay (R-PSB) team alongside military, intelligence, and CIDG units—was launched after a former CTG member alias “Rey” revealed the storage location.
Authorities recovered an M1 Garand rifle, a .22 caliber rifle, a 5.56 revolver, an improvised shotgun, anti-personnel mine components, three 40mm high explosives, and two rifle grenades with bulltraps.
Operatives also secured various magazines, live ammunition, and subversive documents labeled “Baringkuas,” “Krisis sa Ekonomiya,” and “Bayan.”
All seized weapons and explosives were turned over for forensic examination and proper disposition.
Cagayan PPO Provincial Director PCol. Mardito G. Anguluan commended both the fisherman and the former insurgent for their vital cooperation.
“The actions of our citizens reflect the power of community partnership,” PCOL Anguluan stated.
“Through proactive initiatives like Project SPIES and our R-PSB personnel deployed directly in the barangays, we build the trust necessary to act quickly on critical information. Whether turning in illegal drugs or recovering dangerous military hardware, public vigilance keeps our coastal and rural communities safe,” added Anguluan.
