Three New People’s Army rebels were killed in an encounter with government troops in Bukidnon last Saturday, a military spokesman said Thursday.
Meanwhile, two policemen, five soldiers and two civilians were wounded by suspected NPA forces in Lucban, Quezon on Wednesday, the Calabarzon regional police office said.
Troops from the 1st Special Forces Battalion of the Philippine Army’s Special Operations Command in Brgy. Licoan, Sumilao, Bukidnon put down the three NPAs around 2:30 p.m. on May 13, said Captain Norman Tagros, spokesperson of the 403rd Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army.
The fallen NPAs, who were identified as alias “Aryong,” alias “Janie,” and alias “Jemboy”, were among the estimated 20 NPA fighters who engaged government troops in an hourlong firefight.
Tagros added that field reports noted that five NPA rebels were also wounded during the clash. “The government troops continue to search the area for the cadavers of the NPA fatalities,” he added.
The 1st Special Forces Battalion is among the troops operationally controlled by the 403rd Infantry Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division.
In Quezon, the policemen wounded from the NPA ambush were identified as PO1 Romelio Lameseria and PO1 Philip Tayaba.
Calabarzon Police Regional Director Ma. O Aplasca said policemen from the 5th Maneuver Platoon of the Quezon Police Public Safety Company encountered an undetermined number of NPA rebels at the boundary of Barangay Kalangay and Mahabang Parang in Lucban around noon while on combat patrol.
The encounter lasted until 4:30 p.m, Aplasca said. The rebels retreated, bringing with them their wounded companions.
An hour earlier, another encounter erupted at the boundaries of Barangay San Antonio and Barangay San Jose, Luisiana, Laguna, between Army troops and the NPA.
Wounded were Domingo Garcillas, a CAFGU member, Sgt. Marvin Bagaboro, Sgt. Zaldy Lebantino, Sgt. Teejay Antonio and Sgt. Jeff Ray Gatlabayan.
According to Aplasca, troopers from the 80th Infantry Battalion were traveling on board a military vehicle and a V-150 Armored Personnel Carrier along the Cavinti-Luisiana Road when a landmine exploded.
Two civilian vehicles that were on the road at the time of the ambush were hit by shrapnel from the improvised landmine, wounding two of the occupants, the police director added.
