ILOILO City – The Philippine Army is on an offensive. Barely two weeks after the New People’s Army (NPA) ambushed a platoon of policemen in Barangay Isian Victoria, Leon, Iloilo, government troops engaged the rebels in another hinterland village of the municipality.
A 15-minute firefight erupted around 4:50 a.m. between 10 soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion and about the same number of insurgents yesterday morning in Barangay Malublub, Leon.
“The enemies eventually retreated. We were on an offensive operation. There were no deaths or injuries on our side,” said Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalo of the 61st Infantry Battalion.
The battalion received information that armed men of the NPA’s Southern Front Committee were in Barangay Malublub so it deployed soldiers there.
“We cannot wait for them to do violence against us. I want the troops to go out and run after them,” said Colonel Benedict Arevalo of the Philippine Army’s 301st Brigade.
Among other complaints, villagers claimed the rebels were extorting money and goods from them.
“We are intensifying our operation to stop the NPA’s extortion activities,” said Arevalo.
He urged civilians to report to authorities the rebels’ activities in their areas “to put an end to the NPA’s atrocities and extortion activities.”
Around 3:50 p.m. yesterday or some 11 hours after the Leon clash, soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion exchanged fire with another band of rebels , this time in barangays Bongbongan and Guinbi-alan, Maayon, Capiz.
There were no reported injuries or casualties on the government side.
Just this Aug. 24 troops of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company were on patrol when some 20 rebels set off a command-detonated landmine and started firing at the policemen in Barangay Isian Victoria, Leon. Three policemen were injured.
It was believed to be a retaliatory attacked by the rebels after losing seven comrades to the police and military in Barangay Atabay, San Jose, Antique a week earlier.
The mobile force company repelled the rebels after some 20 minutes of gunfight, said Senior Superintendent Marlon Tayaba, Iloilo police director.
On Aug. 15 combined forces of the San Jose, Antique police station, Antique Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Philippine Army’s 301st Brigade Intelligence Task Group killed seven rebels in Barangay Atabay, San Jose. The casualties were members of the NPA’s taxation group extorting money from the locals, said Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, regional police director./PN
