BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Army soldiers captured eight New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas without firing a shot Sunday evening in the town of Calinog, Iloilo, regional military spokesman Capt. Mark Andrew Posadas said.

Posadas said Monday that the raid on a house in Barangay Banban where the rebels had been staying yielded three M16 assault rifles, an M14 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, two homemade shotguns, two rifle grenades, a fragmentation grenade and an anti-personnel landmine.

The rebels belonging to the Limbaong platoon of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Panay Central Front Committee were identified as Carl Teodosio, alias Ka Amy; John David, alias Ka Jojo; Rodney Catamin, alias ka JM; Bernard Gicalao,alias Ka Art, Joemer Begayo, alias Ka Mark, Dennis Dote, alias ka Sam; James Latombo,alias Ka Sonny; and Jojie Belo, alias ka Glen.

Two weeks before this, the 82nd Infantry Battalion also captured a rebel camp in Igbaras, Iloilo, which yielded a stockpile of landmines, ammunition, dried marijuana leaves and marijuana plants.

Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto, 3rd Infantry Division commander, yesterday said the capture of the eight rebels had halved the manpower and firepower capability of the Central Front Committee and brought the military “a step closer to achieving our mission before the year ends.”

The Armed Forces have been given by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo until next year to reduce the communist insurgency to insignificance.