3 rebels perish in Agusan clash
Three others surrender to Central Luzon authorities
Members of the 26th Infantry Battalion encountered seven rebels around 2 p.m. in Sitio
Damming, Barangay Zillovia
Three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed and various war materiel, including firearms and explosives, were seized when government forces clashed with the rebel group in Talacogon, Agusan del Sur on Monday.
The slain rebels, two males and a female, remained unidentified, according to Maj. Francisco Garello, Army 402nd Brigade civil-military operations officer.
“One of the male fatalities looked young. We do not know yet how old he was, but he was found with a gun,” he said over the phone.
The other two appeared to be in their late 20s or early 30s, he added, and wore boots and carried large bags.
Members of the 26th Infantry Battalion encountered seven rebels around 2 p.m. in Sitio Damming, Barangay Zillovia.
The rebels were believed to be under Guerrilla Front 88, a unit of the North-Central
Mindanao Regional Committee that, according to the military, has a “dwindling” number of personnel.
They engaged troops in a five-minute firefight before withdrawing, Garello said.
No casualty was reported among the soldiers, who also recovered an M16 rifle, two shotguns, a caliber-.38 handgun, two grenades, an anti-personnel mine and various rounds of ammunition at the clash site.
Authorities vowed to continue pursuing peace and national unity through the active involvement of Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the whole-of-sector approach against insurgents.
Other items the rebels left behind were five mobile phones, a pair of binoculars, medical paraphernalia, 15 sets of battle dress attire, caps, combat boots and documents.
Brig. Gen. Maurito Licudine, 402nd Brigade commander, assured that the slain rebels will be turned over to their families for burial once they are identified.
“We reiterate our call to the remaining members of the NPA to voluntarily surrender and heed the call of peace. Our troops will be relentless in pursuing them, there is no other way for them but to lay down their arms or continue hiding and be hunted,” he said.
In Central Luzon, three former rebels and two members of communist terrorist groups surrendered to government forces in Aurora and Zambales.
Police Regional Office-3 director Brig,. Gen. Valeriano de Leon identified the three former rebels as Ka Eric, Ka Edwin/Lando and Ka Joy/ Jaster, members of the Platoon Uno of the Kilusang Larangang Guerilla-Sierra Madre operating in Central Aurora.
The two others were Ka Peter and Edwin, former members of the Regional Yunit Guerilla that operates from the town of Botolan in Zambales up to Pangasinan province. They turned over a homemade shotgun with two live ammunition without serial number and a .38 caliber revolver with three live ammunition and also without a serial number.
De Leon vowed to continue pursuing peace and national unity through the active involvement of Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the whole-of-sector approach against insurgents.