5 NPA leaders killed in Negros, Cagayan clashes

MANILA, Philippines — Relentless military operations against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Negros Island and in Cagayan on Thursday led to encounters that left five ranking members of the communist movement dead.

Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo, 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, said Jonard Salo of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor was killed in a clash in Barangay Enrique Villanueva in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Salayo said an M16 rifle, an M14, a KG-9 rifle, a homemade 12-gauge shotgun with 10 bullets, anti-personnel mines, three rifle grenades, ammunition for an M203 grenade launcher, NPA flags and 12 backpacks, which contained assorted ammunition, personal belongings and subversive documents, were recovered at the scene.

Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said a leader of an NPA unit identified only by his alias of Johnny was killed in an encounter with personnel of the 94th IB in Barangay Caradio-an in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental.

Two magazines for a caliber .45 pistol and  a hand grenade were among those reportedly recovered from the rebels.

In Cagayan, the military said Saturnino Agunoy, head of the regional operations department of the NPA in Cagayan Valley; Mark Canta of the West Front Committee,   and a certain Val, a medical officer, were killed in a gunbattle at the boundary of Piat and Sto. Niño towns.

Capt. Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division’s public affairs officer, said  two caliber .45 pistols, a hand grenade and two backpacks, which contained medical supplies, a laptop and other personal belongings, were recovered from the fatalities. – Victor Martin, Ralph Edwin Villanueva