AFP says it foiled communist plot to attack MM, Southern Tagalog

A communist rebel was killed before dawn yesterday at a checkpoint in Batangas during a running gun battle with soldiers of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) and the Philippine Army and operatives of the Philippine National Police.

The encounter also resulted in the seizure of a rebel arms cache and documents indicating that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was plotting to attack vital facilities and installations in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area and Metro Manila.

"From several documents recovered from the vehicle, there appeared confirmation of earlier information that planned nationwide terrorists activities would indeed be launched by the CPP-NPA to dissipate (Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police) forces and distract them from the real target — Metro Manila — to grab power," Air Force chief Lt. Gen. Jose Reyes said.

PAF public information office chief Lt. Col. Resty Padilla Jr. said the encounter ensued after combined elements from the 730th and 740th Combat Groups of the 710th Special Operations Wing of the PAF, the 2nd Infantry Division of the Southern Luzon Command of the Philippine Army and the PNP’s 401st Police Mobile Group tracked down five communist rebels in Tuy town.

Padilla said the four rebels who escaped are all believed to have sustained bullet wounds inflicted during the firefight.

An all-points bulletin was issued throughout Batangas warning of the possible appearance of the wounded rebels within the province.

The seized rebel documents also showed that the CPP intends to intensify its urban operations in the National Capital Region (NCR).

PAF 740th Combat Group commander Lt. Col. Lauro Cris Tumanda said yesterday’s encounter in Barangay Putol in Tuy resulted in the death of a certain Crispin Pantoja Katigbak, also known as Ka Charlie.

PAF 730th Combat Group commander Lt. Col. Ruben Carandang said Katigbak, 33, was a resident of Rillo St. in Tuy.

Prior to the encounter, Tumanda said combined military and police forces were implementing the Oplan (Operation Plan) Lambat checkpoint near Tuy when five unidentified armed men aboard a dark blue sedan with license plates UMZ-231 opened fire on them at 1 a.m.

Carandang said that Katigbak’s group opened fire on PAF and PNP troops manning the "Oplan Lambat" checkpoint prompting an exchange of fire.

Katigbak was immediately killed in the first volley of gunfire after he was shot several times while his comrades managed to escape.

Carandang said his men chased the retreating rebels in a running gun battle. However, no other rebels were apprehended and no casualties were reported on the government side.

When searched, the rebels’ car yielded high-powered firearms — including an Israeli-made Galil rifle and an American-made M653 Armalite, three M-16 assault rifles, a rifle grenade, 34 assorted rifle magazines, ammunition bandoliers and the rebels’ personal belongings.

High-end cellular phones were also recovered from the vehicle, along with CPP documents detailing the plot to attack installations in Metro Manila and the Calabarzon area.

Army 2nd Division commander, Maj. Gen. Alexander Yano said the information taken from the documents further bolsters reports of an "unholy alliance" between the CPP and rebel Magdalo soldiers, who figured in a failed mutiny in 2003.

The primary targets of the rebels include power and utility infrastructure and vital government and private installations.

The military and police officials stepped up their hot pursuit operations against the rebels by setting up additional checkpoints and blocking all of Batangas’ probable exit points. — Jaime Laude, Rainier Allan Ronda, Arnell Ozaeta, Ed Amoroso