15 NPAs, soldier hurt in gunbattle

A soldier and 15 communist guerrillas were wounded in a clash Thursday in Ilocos Norte, the military said yesterday.

Belated reports quoted Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Alvarado as saying an Army platoon encountered about 20 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels near Nueva Era town.

The guerrillas fled after a 90-minute gunbattle, Alvarado said.

It was the first firefight between the two sides since last year.

Follow-up operations conducted by troops from the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion (IB) led by Lt. Col. Roberto Almadin resulted in the capture of a rebel camp in Barangay Barangobong in Nueva Era.

The troops recovered subversive documents and medical supplies from the camp .

In June last year, troops from the 17th IB overran a large NPA camp in Barangay Baluarte, Salcedo town in Ilocos Sur and seized six firearms and a cache of rebel documents including computer material left behind by the fleeing guerrillas.

Thursday’s firefight erupted at about 8:30 a.m. when a platoon headed by 2Lt. Haydion Abiera encountered the NPA band, which included three women.

The wounded soldier was identified as Cpl. Elinor Tuwag.

The military said the rebels fled toward Abra province, bringing with them their wounded comrades.

The military has claimed they have broken the backbone of the communist insurgency movement in the North, resulting in a declining frequency of armed encounters in the region.

However, the rebels appeared to have stepped up their recruitment in the area.

The military authorities admitted that the insurgency movement in Northern and Central Luzon regions has grown by about seven percent in recent years.

Northern Luzon Command chief Maj. Gen. Rodolfo Garcia said the NPA has been openly recruiting in hinterland barangays in the absence of government forces.

To address the problem, military authorities have strengthened militia forces as community-based defense mechanism against the encroachment of subversive elements.

The 5th Infantry Division (ID) which has jurisdiction over Cagayan, Ilocos provinces and the Cordilleras has formed five more Civilian Armed Auxiliary, while 7th ID formed eight more, bring to 50 the total number of CAAs under the supervision of the 5th ID, and 22 under the 7th ID. — Artemio Dumlao, AFP