Fighting reported in Agusan barangay

From the Manila Standard Today (Oct 4): Fighting reported in Agusan barangay

A member of the Special Action Force (SAF) was wounded when some 10 fully armed NPA rebels and a Philippine National Police-SAF patrol clashed in Barangay San Roque, Kitcharao town in Agusan del Norte early dawn Monday.

The encounter occurred near the village where the NPA released four abducted Agusan del Norte policemen last August.

Spokesman Major Christian Uy of the Fourth ID Philippine Army identified the SAF member as PO1 Dionisio Tagapan whose unit came from the SAF station in Santiago, Agusan del Norte.

“The firefight lasted for 10 minutes,” Uy told Manila Standard Thursday noon, without disclosing any loss on the rebel’s side.

Last Wednesday, soldiers from the 30th Infantry “Python” Battalion encountered the NPA rebels in Sitio Brazil, Barangay Mat-I in the outskirts of Surigao City.

Uy said troops sent by  Lt. Col. Arsenio Sadural, Commanding Officer, had a 45-minute gunbattle that forced the rebels to flee, leaving behind two M16 rifles.

Col Jonathan Ponce, 402nd Infantry Brigade Commander, ordered a follows-up operation and a Quick Response Team to hold a dialogue with village residents, he added.

“We will ensure that these NPAs will no longer go back to these communities. We will intensify our efforts in addressing the insurgency situation especially in the countryside,” Uy quoted Ponce as saying.

Barangay Mat-i, a few kilometers away from Surigao’s city limits, is NPA-infested following the rush of small-scale miners.

The locality is found inside a protected watershed area that serves as the city’s only source of potable water.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/10/04/fighting-reported-in-agusan-barangay/