Troops in search of NPA cadavers

From the Sun Star-Davao (Dec 8): Troops in search of NPA cadavers

TROOPS from the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) are now looking for four cadavers of the suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who died in separate encounters with the government troops in Compostela Valley this week.

Eastmincom's Public Information Office chief Captain Alberto Caber, in a phone interview, said four communist rebels were killed in two separate encounters with the members of the 71st Infantry Battalion in Maco in Compostela Valley on Wednesday and Friday.

"Of the four rebels who died, two are women while the others are men. The problem is, we could not find their cadavers. According to the concerned citizens, the group behind the encounter took the remains of their comrades," Caber said.

Caber said the first encounter took placed at Sitio Lin-ao in Barangay Teresa in Maco at 9:40 a.m. on December 4, wherein three rebels: two women and a man were killed due to loss of blood.

The second encounter took place in Barangay Malamodao, Maco at 10 a.m. on December 6, wherein another rebel died in a 30 minute firefight with the troops of 71st Infantry Battalion.

Caber said the clashes resulted to the recovery of one hand grenade, several magazines of an M16 rifle, and backpacks. He added that no one was reportedly hurt on the troop’s side.

"Based on the information we obtained from the residents, the group took the cadavers of the four rebels and concealed somewhere in the forested area. But no one could tell us where the cadavers were exactly concealed," he added.

Caber said the troops of the 71st Infantry Battalion are already on its pursuit operation and investigation to locate the causalities, adding that, aside from pursuit operation, the troops are also conducting security patrol, following the request of the residents there.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2013/12/08/troops-search-npa-cadavers-317659