Clash with NPAs wounds 2 army troopers in Quezon
CAMP G. NAKAR, Quezon/STA. CRUZ, Ilocos Sur – Two army troopers were wounded when they clashed with New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Sitio Aak Malaki, Barangay Vista Hermosa in Macalelon town last Friday.
Meanwhile in the Cordillera Administrative Region, soldiers recovered highpowered guns and war materials assigned to two NPA rebels operating in the provinces of Mountain Province and Abra.
Lieutenant Colonel Ely R. Tono, commanding Officer of army’s 85th Infantry Battalion (85IB), confirmed two of his men – Privates Arnold Generalao and Ralph Magtibay – were wounded in battle with the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) last Friday.
They are now in stable condition, Tono said.
It was learned that an undetermined number of communist fighters were also believed to be wounded based on the blood stains found at the encounter site.
Tono said they were conducting combat operations in the area to secure the Community Support Program (CSP) of the soldiers and the Local Government Unit (LGU) in the barangay when they chanced upon the NPA rebels. A five-minute gunbattle broke out.
The rebels belong to the Platoon 2, Guerilla Unit 2, Sub- Regional Military Area (SRMA) of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee operating in Quezon.
In Cordillera, Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio C. Osias IV, spokesman of the army’s 7th Infantry Division, confirmed that operating troops of the army’s 81st Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Col. Charles D.Z. Castillo, were able to find and seize an M16 rifle, one M14 rifle, one magazine assembly for M16 rifle, seven rounds of ammunition, and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
These were found in the remote area of Sitio Aguid, Barangay Agawa, Besao, Mountain Province at 5:50 p.m. on Satchandeliers, urday.
The soldiers learned the location of the rebel firearms from Antonio Tabling, alias “Andy,” who had surrendered to the military.
Earlier, a former member of NPA rebel operating in Abra surrendered to the army’s 24th Infantry Battalion with his Winchester M14 rifle.
Major General Felimon T. Santos, Jr., Commander of the 7th JD, is grateful to Tabling for trusting that Philippine Army and other government forces will do what is best for him.