BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – Three suspected New People’s Army guerrillas were killed while another was captured following a firefight that occurred during the NPA’s 46th founding anniversary in Bukidnon Sunday.
Soldiers belonging to the Army’s 4th Infantry Division were on patrol in Barangay Manibugao when they encountered a band of rebels, said 1/Lt. Lorefel Judaya, deputy spokesman for the Army’s 66th Infantry Brigade.
The military has yet to identify the fatalities.
Judaya said the rebels belonged to the Guerrilla Front 4-B of the NPA North Central Mindanao regional command.
He said they were investigating the arrested rebel, who suffered injuries in the firefight.
In Agusan del Sur, 30 insurgents raided a sawmill in Barangay Manat in Trento town and burned two trucks, two engines and a chainsaw.
The sawmill, reportedly owned by a barangay official, was said to be operating without a permit. Police placed the damage at P800,000.
2 soldiers hurt in Capiz encounter
Meanwhile, two soldiers were wounded in another encounter with suspected NPA guerrillas in Tapaz town in Capiz Sunday.
Cpl. Niel Lagat and Pfc. Raymund de Juan, both of the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (IB), were airlifted to the 3ID Station Hospital at Camp Peralta in Jamindan town following a firefight in Barangay Tacayan, Major Ray Tiongson, spokesman for the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said.
Lt./Col. Victor Llapitan, chief of the 61st IB, said the troops were checking reports about the presence of armed men in the area when they encountered the rebels.
Llapitan said the armed men were extorting money from the villagers. He believes there were rebels who were killed or wounded in the clash.
Ex-rebel nabbed for murder
In Laguna, an alleged former NPA official tagged in the murder of a court employee in Oriental Mindoro was captured in Sta. Rosa City Sunday.
Allan Alarzar, 39, surrendered after authorities cornered him in his hideout in Barangay Sto. Domingo at around 11:30 a.m.
Alarzar’s arrest was based on a warrant issued by Pinamalayan Judge Recto Calabocal for three counts of murder, Senior Superintendent Florendo Saligao, Laguna police director, said.
Alarzar was tagged in the killing of Paquito Umbao, an employee of the Pinamalayan court, on Oct. 30, 2011.
Saligao said the suspect was a former official of the communist group operating in Oriental Mindoro before he engaged in contract killing. – With Jennifer Rendon, Ed Amoroso