Two New People’s Army rebels and a policeman were killed while several others were wounded in a roadside blast and skirmishes in Cotabato and Samar Tuesday.
In Cotabato, a police patrol along the stretch between Barangay Dolores and Barangay Poblacion in the town of Magpet hit a roadside bomb at 9:20 a.m., said Sr. Supt. Maximo Cawas Layugan, director of the Cotabato Police Provincial Office.
Layugan said the explosion wounded all policemen on board and killed one of them.
The blast was followed by a burst of gunfire from the NPA rebels, prompting the police to return fire.
Layugan identified the slain policeman as P01 Christopher Anadon while the injured were P01 Stephenson Batoon Parreno; SP01 Michael Mariano Escano; P02 Marinerl Pastores; P01 Eliezer Langcuban; P01 Darrell Ferolino; P01 Phil Jan Ray Canarejo; P01 Franz Deo Lechago and P01 Mark Vincent Capilitan.
In Samar, a firefight between troops of the 63rd Infantry Battalion and 10 communist rebels broke out in Barangay Carolina, Matuguianao, leaving two NPA rebels dead at about 10 a.m. Tuesday.
Maj. Abel Potutan, Public Information Officer of the military’s Central Command, said the clash erupted after soldiers responded to information of NPA extortion activities in the village.
“Troops were able to catch up with these terrorist, and were able to push them out of the community leaving two of their dead comrades behind with one M16 rifle, one KG9 and one shotgun,” Lt. Col. Rizaldo Laurena, commander of the 63rd Infantry Battalion.
In Rizal, meanwhile, three rebels surrendered to the military and handed over an M1 carbine and a caliber .22 rifle.
