ILOILO City – Troops of the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels clashed in the boundary of Barangay Trangka, Maasin, Iloilo and Barangay Canawillian, Janiuay town around 8 a.m. yesterday.
The government troops were in the hinterland villages checking out reports that armed men were encamped thereat, according to Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalot Jr., 61IB commander.
The rebels eventually retreated.
Soldiers recovered from the encounter site four improvised explosive devices, two 5.56 M16 rifles, an NPA flag, a laptop, and subversive documents.
Magbalot said they received information that the rebels were preparing for offensives to mark the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26.
The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, is targeting police and army detachments, said Magbalot.
“We commend the local populace for reporting to us the presence of the CPP-NPA terrorists,” he added.
Magbalot said yesterday afternoon his men were still trying to determine if they were able to kill or injure the rebels.
The CPP-NPA recently announced it would be observing a unilateral ceasefire beginning 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 24 to 11:59 p.m. of Dec. 26 and from 12:01 a.m. of Dec. 31 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 1, 2019.
“Insofar as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is concerned, sinasabi natin na (we are saying) we are not inclined to recommend to the President a holiday truce this time,” said Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo, the Armed Forces spokesperson, in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
He cited the rebels’ insincerity and refusal to keep commitments in previous holiday ceasefires.
According to Arevalo, the rebels are using the lull to recruit, regroup and refurbish their forces, noting that the insurgents are also looking for maneuver space to celebrate their 50th founding anniversary.
“Ayaw natin silang bigyan ng pagkakataon na makapag-propagandize (we do not want to give them a chance to conduct propaganda). We will not recommend (a ceasefire), we will not reciprocate. To me, to us, it’s a gambit na gusto nilang gawin para sa ganun sumagot tayo (they want us to respond) but we already learned our lessons in the past,” said Arevalo./PN
