Two successive encounters between the 43rd Infantry Battalion (43IB) of the 8th Infantry Division (8ID) and members of the (New) People’s Army (NPA) in Samar town this week resulted in the death of the latter’s two members.
The separate encounters happened at barangay Rizal of Matuguinao town Tuesday morning.
The first clash happened at around 7:01 a.m. and after around 15 minutes, another fighting ensued just some 600 meters away from the first scene.
The incident occurred after Lt. Colonel Glen Jun C. Calambuhay, commanding officer of the 43IB, received information through text that armed NPAs have been staying in the said village.
According to the informant, the rebels were urging locales to vote for their endorsed candidate while at the same time extorting from them food and money.
Calambuhay immediately dispatched his troops to the area that later engaged some 10 to 15 rebels in separate fights.
The encounters also led to the recovery of one M16 Armalite rifle with one loaded magazine and one 12-gauge homemade shotgun.
Capt. Amado Guiterrez, chief of the 8ID public affairs division, said that the rebels who were killed in the encounter remain to be unidentified as of press time.
Meantime, 8ID commanding officer, Brigadier General Jet B. Velarmino said that it is “alarming” that NPAs are already campaigning for their candidates in Rizal village in line with the Oct 28 elections.
“Nonetheless, I commend the troops of 43rd Infantry Battalion under the leadership of Lt Col Calambuhay for their commitment to service and dedication to duty that sustain the peace and development in this part of Samar Island,” he added.
He also stated that “it is unfortunate and tragic” that the rebels continue with their armed struggle when the Filipino nation “believes that lasting peace, sustainable development and social justice can be attained through peaceful consultations.”
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=577829
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