MAKILALA, North Cotabato -- Military authorities here have heightened its alert status
following the arrest on Wednesday of a high-ranking official of the New
People's Army (NPA) rebels in adjacent Matanao, Davao del Sur.
Army Capt. Danny Tapang, 39th Infantry Battalion (IB)
civilian-military relations office chief, said military troops continue to
scour the boundary this town and Matanao in search of rebels who fled to
various direction following a fierce encounter with state forces.
The military pursuit operation has been launched following
persistent reports of NPA sightings in the mountainous sections of Makilala and
Tulunan municipalities here, and Columbio in Sultan Kudarat province.
"The 39th IB ordered all units in full-alert status to
deter any threat to civilian populace and possible retaliation from the
rebels," he said.
Tapang noted that military patrols were also recently
augmented to deter offensives that might be carried out by the NPA and similar
radical groups in connection with the May 9, 2016 national and local polls.
On Wednesday, joint 39th IB and Matanao police operatives
responded to persistent reports by field assets over the rebels’ presence along
the Makilala-Matanao border.
After an hour-long firefight, the rebels withdrew and led
government troops to capture Joan Casamorin alias "Alvin", the
current vice-commanding officer of NPA Guerilla Front 72 of the Far South
Mindanao Regional Committee (FSMR) in Central Mindanao .
The soldiers managed to later retrieve the body of an NPA
militant, identified only as “Jebjeb”, who was killed during the encounter.
Also recovered at the encounter site were three homemade
bombs, a .45 caliber pistol and ammunition that were left behind by the rebels.
Tapang said Casamorin is currently facing a number of
robbery, kidnapping, serious illegal detention, homicide, and murder charges
before the local courts.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=867700
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