ANGELES CITY- Gunbattles stretching from western to eastern Central Luzon over the weekend led to the killing of two guerrillas of the New People’s Army (NPA) and the wounding of another, as well as the seizure of several high-powered arms by the Philippine Army.
The Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) reported yesterday that the clashes occurred between different bands of the NPA and units of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division (ID) which had jurisdiction in the areas.
Brig. Gen. Alan Luga, commander of the 7th ID, said the series of clashes started at about 5:30 a.m. last Saturday between soldiers from the 24th Infantry Battalion and 12 rebels belonging to the NPA’s Pinagsanib na Sangay ng Tarlac-Zambales who were reportedly demanding “revolutionary taxes” from local folk in Sitio Dinapil, Barangay Mambog, Botolan, Zambales.
Two rebels, who remained unidentified, were killed during the ensuing 20-minute firefight. One wounded rebel, however, was identified as Lito Collado alias Warry of Tarlac who sustained a gunshot wound in the leg.
Luga said that two M-16 and two M-14 rifles, one homemade shotgun, one hand grenade, two rifle grenades, subversive documents and personal belongings were also found by the military after the rebels fled.
Nolcom also reported that at about 8 a.m. also last Saturday, another clash erupted at Barangay Talbek, Dupax Del Sur, Nueva Vizcaya when the squad of 81st Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Ramon Dave Advincula, chanced upon another band of rebels believed to be members of the Platun Nueva Ecija-Nueva Vizcaya-Eastern Pangasinan, also collecting “revolutionary taxes” from local folk.
A 10-minute firefight occurred, but no one was reported hurt after the rebels scampered to various directions, although they left behind two high-powered firearms, one M-16 and one M-14 rifles, and subversive documents.
Also last Saturday at around 4:30 p.m., another platoon of soldiers from 56th Infantry Battalion led by 2Lt Allan Daquioag clashed against NPA rebels in Barangay Pias, General Tinio, Nueva Ecija.
“The rebels put up a fight which lasted for ten minutes, before they escaped to the mountains, leaving behind one M-16 rifle,” Nolcom reported. No one was reported injured.
Luga said that civilians had tipped off the military in the Zambales case, even as he appealed to NPA rebels to “consider abandoning their armed struggle and start working with us in our drive to end the communist insurgency.”
