Army encounter vs NPAs yields high-powered firearms; amazon surrenders

Kananga, Leyte - Another encounter between the Army’s 19th Infantry Commando Battalion and the New People’s Army which occurred just within the encounter site that killed one terrorist last Nov. 23, in Sitio Surosimbahan, Barangay Taglawigan, San Isidro, Leyte resulted to the recovery of two high-powered firearms, grenade, and plenty of live ammunitions for an M60 machine gun.

Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commanding officer of the 19th IB said the incident happened about 8:30 a.m. on Saturday in the same area. The troopers, according to Dagoy chanced upon the communist terrorists (CTs), who apparently went back to the vicinity of the encounter site to look for their missing comrades, thinking that the troopers have already left the area. He added that a firefight between government troopers and communist terrorists, numbering about 10, ensued for about 10 minutes until the NPAs scampered to different directions after sustaining several casualties.

Dagoy said witnesses saw the terrorists carried two dead comrades along with several wounded. Recovered by the troops from the scene of encounter were two high-powered firearms (HPFAs), one M16 and one M14, one hand grenade, and 100 rounds of 7.62 mm link ammo used for M60 machine gun. The troopers were led by 2Lt. Jose Laurel Sibullas and 2Lt. Alberto Dabajo.

Terrorists encountered by the 19 IB Army is part of the Nepal Platoon of Northern Leyte Front (NLF) who had long been terrorizing residents of Leyte particularly the 3rd District led by one Geronimo Maceda aka Maning. This is the same group that was responsible for the burning of one 19 IB soldier after an ambush in Barangay Hibuluangan, Villaba, Leyte on May 6 this year.

As this developed, another amazon, identified as Marife Villarente aka Nina, a member of Nepal Platoon, NLF, surrendered to elements of the 19th IB at the patrol base in Barangay Taglawigan, San Isidro, Leyte. Villarente said that she could not bear any longer the hardships that they are presently experiencing in the countryside due to the comprehensive operations of the 19th IB. She said there are times they could not eat in one day because they have to move from one place to another during most of the time to avoid the pursuing military troopers.

Her surrender is a manifestation of the impending demise of NLF, as she revealed that more CTs have already left the Nepal Platoon. She is now under the custody of the unit to undergo further tactical interrogation as she is quite knowledgeable of the current disposition of the terrorists.

"The more they become mobile, the better for my troops to hit them as they become vulnerable to us. This is the situation that we want our enemies to follow because we are dictating the terms of the battle," Dagoy said.