4 dead in AFP-NPA Camarines Sur clashes

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — Four New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in encounters with government troopers in Camarines Sur in the past two days.

Three of the rebels were killed in a clash with soldiers of the 83rd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Bato town at around 6:45 a.m. yesterday.

Capt. Joas Pramis, 9th Infantry Division information officer, said the clash occurred while the soldiers were patrolling Barangay Payak to check the reported presence of unidentified armed men.

Pramis said five other communist rebels, including a woman, were arrested. Three M16 rifles were recovered at the scene.

Another rebel was killed in an encounter also with 83rd IB personnel in Barangay Gubat, Lagonoy at about 7:27 a.m. on Monday.

Troops recovered the body of the rebel and his M-14 rifle. 

There was no reported casualty on the government side.

In Negros Occidental, Geroge Ylanan, an alleged member of the NPA’s Special Partisan Unit, was shot dead on Sunday by Army soldiers pursuing NPA rebels tagged in the assassination attempt on militiaman Wilson Geresola in Barangay Camalanda-an in Cauayan.

Geresola was unhurt when he and S/Sgt. Jose Jessie Pareño were shot on their way to the detachment on Saturday.

In North Cotabato, 34 NPA rebels surrendered to personnel of the 19th IB based in Magpet town.

The rebels turned their firearms and ammunition, Lt. Col. Ehrlich Noel Paraso, 19th IB commander, said.

Two of the rebels, Fidel Sicao and John Manumba, said they decided to surrender due to rivalry among NPA leaders squabbling for control of areas where they collect so-called revolutionary tax. They said continuing military offensives have also weakened the communist movement.

Paraso said he requested local officials to provide livelihood to the surrenderees.

In Abra, Jocelyn Saoadan, former medical officer of the Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Montes operating in Ilocos and the Cordilleras, surrendered and turned over her M16 rifle and ammunition in Abra on Saturday. – Jaime Laude, Gilbert Bayoran, John Unson, Artemio Dumlao