ANGELES CITY – An army company leader was injured in a recent firefight with communist rebels belonging to the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB) in Purok 7, barangay Sto. Rosario in Masinloc, Zambales.
In a belated report, the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said 1st Lt. McLloyd Latris was wounded during the incident which occurred at about 5:30 p.m. last Monday.
Nolcom said Latris was the leader of a section of Alpha Company, 24th Infantry Battalion which encountered the rebels while his soldiers were patrolling barangay Sto. Rosario. His group was responding to reports that armed men were going from house to house to collect “revolutionary taxes.”
“It did not take long for the soldiers to spot the rebels who immediately opened fire,” Nolcom said.
The rebels were reportedly outpowered by the soldiers and fled with many of them wounded, Nolcom said.
Nolcom recalled that the RHB is the armed group of the underground Marxist-Leninist Party of the Philippines (MLPP), which broke away from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the 1980’s.
“The MLPP rival the CPP in extortion and other criminal activities in Pampanga and other parts of Central Luzon,” Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas said.
“Road blocks and checkpoints are now in place. Elements of the 24IB are still conducting pursuit operation as of this report,” Armas said.
In a belated report, the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said 1st Lt. McLloyd Latris was wounded during the incident which occurred at about 5:30 p.m. last Monday.
Nolcom said Latris was the leader of a section of Alpha Company, 24th Infantry Battalion which encountered the rebels while his soldiers were patrolling barangay Sto. Rosario. His group was responding to reports that armed men were going from house to house to collect “revolutionary taxes.”
“It did not take long for the soldiers to spot the rebels who immediately opened fire,” Nolcom said.
The rebels were reportedly outpowered by the soldiers and fled with many of them wounded, Nolcom said.
Nolcom recalled that the RHB is the armed group of the underground Marxist-Leninist Party of the Philippines (MLPP), which broke away from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in the 1980’s.
“The MLPP rival the CPP in extortion and other criminal activities in Pampanga and other parts of Central Luzon,” Nolcom spokesperson Maj. Rosendo Armas said.
“Road blocks and checkpoints are now in place. Elements of the 24IB are still conducting pursuit operation as of this report,” Armas said.
