2 killed in Agusan del Sur firefight
BUTUAN CITY – A policeman and an alleged commander of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed while an undetermined number of other rebels were believed seriously wounded when a fierce gun battle erupted between government forces and communist insurgents in a far-flung southern town of Agusan del Sur province, a sketchy report reaching this city yesterday said.
A field report coming from that province also stated that operating troops of the Agusan del Sur-Provincial Public Safety Company (PPSC) seized several war materials, including high powered automatic rifles, a flag of the CPP-NPA and personal belongings at the scene of the gun battle.
Killed-in-action was PO2 Danny Suhayon while PO1 Rodnilo Gier, Jr. was wounded. Both are from the Agusan del Sur-PPSC.
The identity of the slain NPA commander was not immediately available as of press time.
“According to our civilian informants many NPAs were also wounded and dragged by their comrades as they ran away from the encounter site,” claimed Loreto Municipal Police Station (MPS) Chief of Police Insp. Aldrin Salinas.
“This was a legitimate operation by our Agusan del Sur PPSC troops,” he said.
He said the slain NPA commander was brought to Loreto town funeral home for proper identification and burial.
“Sinusundan pa rin ng ating tropa ang tumakbong mga rebelde following the blood stains along the rebels’ escape route of withdrawal,” the Loreto chief of police added.
Initial report reaching the Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) based at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here stated that elements of Agusan del Sur-PPSC were conducting security patrol when they were engaged in a fierce firefight by an undetermined number of heavily armed NPA’s at 3:15 p.m. on Monday at Sitio Union, Barangay Binucayan, Loreto town, Agusan del Sur.
The heavy gun battle lasted for more than 30 minutes and the encountered rebels retreated after sensing they were outgunned and reinforcing teams of PPSC were coming, said PRO 13 regional spokesman Supt. Martin M. Gamba.
The rebels fled to nearby mountainous border of Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley province.
The encountered rebels were members of the guerilla-Front Committee 3 of the CPP-NPA Southern Mindanao Party Committee, Gamba said, quoting a flash report from Agusan del Sur PPO.