TALCOBAN CITY, Dec. 1 -- The local government unit of Palapag, Northern Samar has strongly condemned extortion and use of banned explosives by the New People's Army (NPA) as confirmed in recent clashes between government forces and rebels.

The Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) stated this on Monday after the Philippine Army's 78th Infantry Battalion encountered NPA remnants in hideouts rigged with banned anti-personnel mines.

The military found this during clashes on Nov. 29, 2025, in the mountainous area of Nipa village in Palapag town, where a rebel was killed, and five high-powered firearms and various war materiel were seized.

"The MTF-ELCAC strongly condemns all acts of violence, extortion and ...