4 killed as RP troops clash with communist rebels

Army troops clashed with communist rebels in Barangay Tinghub, Villaba, Leyte Sunday night, the military reported yesterday, killing four people, including a guerrilla’s wife and their 12-year-old son who were caught in the crossfire, officials said.

Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commander of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion said in an interview that two suspected New People’s Army rebels were also slain in the said encounter, which lasted for about 20 minutes. Dagoy identified the slain rebels as Feliciano Labrador, and a certain Jezrel, while the civilian casualties were Labrador’s wife Leonora and their 12-year-old son.

He said that around 10:10 in the evening Sunday, a squad reinforced by commandos acted on civilian information that around 10 heavily armed rebels led by NPA leader Geronimo Maceda alias Maning were sighted in the area.

The 20-minute gunfight broke out late Sunday after troops encountered about 10 New People’s Army rebels in Villaba town in central Leyte province, 530 kms. Southeast of Manila, said Army spokesman Major Ernesto Torres.

He said the rebels started shooting at the troops from a hut and a nearby granary, and that the soldiers returned fire, killing two guerrillas.

After the firefight, the troops recovered the following at the scene of encounter, two M15 rifles, one M14 rifle, one rifle grenade, eight short magazines for M16 with ammos, five magazines for M14 with ammos, 11 .45 caliber ammos and various communist documents.

Additional reinforcement unit was sent to pursue the fleeing rebels and in coordination with Villaba, Leyte PNP for the disposition of the cadavers of the fatalities and the recovered items.

However, Dagoy, despite this latest tactical victory of the unit, lamented the unfortunate death of the woman and the boy who were caught in the crossfire. He blamed this incident to the propensity of the NPAs as a matter of their policy and doctrine, to involve innocent women and children as victims of their exploitation in the course of their terror activities in the countryside. This is a clear violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) to where they proudly claim as signatory to the convention.  – James Mananghaya, Roberto Dejon, AP