ILOILO – Philippine Army troops overran a rebel encampment in Barangay Alimodias, Miag-ao town before dawn yesterday, five days before the New People’s Army (NPA) marks its 50th anniversary on March 29. One rebel was killed.
The rebels belonged to the Suyak Platoon of NPA Panay’s Southern Front Committee and the same group that clashed with soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) thrice last week, said Lieutenant Colonel Sisenando Magbalot Jr., battalion commander.
“We received information that the rebels have been staying in Barangay Alimodias for three days already after successive encounters with us. Pero mabilis ang mga mamamayan na nag-inform sa atin kaya na-overrun natin ang kanilang camp,” said Magbalot.
As of this writing, the rebel who died in the clash remained unidentified. The 61IB believed he was a ranking officer of NPA Panay.
The rebel, between 35 to 40 years old, was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and trousers, and a fatigue-colored cap with a red star. No identification papers were recovered from him.
According to Magbalot, the encounter happened around 4 a.m. There were around 20 rebels.
The firefight lasted for some 30 minutes.
The rebels withdrew to the mountains and left their dead comrade.
Soldiers recovered from the campsite flags of the NPA and National Democratic Front, subversive documents, an M16 rifle, ammunition, anti-personnel mines, backpacks, and personal belongings.
“This is still part of our pursuit operations following the series of encounters last week. Our presence in Barangay Alimodias surprised them,” said Magbalot.
Barangay Alimodias, a hinterland village, is some 10 kilometers from Miag-ao’s town center.
The 61IB clashed with the rebels in Barangay Mulangan, Igbaras, Iloilo on March 17; in Barangay Osorio 1, San Remigio, Antique on March 19; and Sitio Igburay, Barangay Indaluyon, Igbaras on March 20.
In the March 17 clash, three NPA suspects were arrested and nine improvised explosive devices were seized.
On the other hand, a solder of the 61IB was injured in the March 20 clash. A bullet grazed the face of Private First Class Bryan Cillo.
“Don’t let them harm you and the people. Hunt them down,” Major General Dinoh Dolina, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) in Panay Island, ordered his men after these three successive encounters.
He also criticized the rebels for using antipersonnel mines.
“This is a violation of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines (Ottawa Treaty), and the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity (Republic Act 9851),” said Dolina./PN
