PNP thwarts NPA attack on Pahiyas eve

From the Philippine News Agency (May 15): PNP thwarts NPA attack on Pahiyas eve

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has thwarted an attempt of the New People's Army (NPA) to disrupt a town fiesta in Majayjay, Laguna on the eve of the celebration of the annual Pahiyas Festival in the nearby town of Lucban, Quezon.

PNP Public Information Office (PIO) chief and spokesman Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos on Monday reported that the tactical units of the Quezon Provincial Public Safety Company and the Alpha Company of the Philippine Army's 80th Infantry Battalion are now conducting "hot pursuit operations" against the NPA terrorists who had an encounter with the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) in Barangay Piit, Majayjay, Laguna on Sunday night.
The responding Army and CAFGU exchanged gunfires during the attack of the NPA in a construction site in the area where they burned a heavy equipment of the construction company, with whom they were allegedly extorting money.

The encounter created monstrous traffic in the Majayjay-Lucban Road, which inconvenienced the motorists going to Lucban for the Pahiyas Festival.

Carlos said that as of Monday, the Majayjay-Lucban Road is now "cleared", adding that, the Police Regional Office (PRO) Calabarzon (Cavite/Laguna/Batangas/Rizal/Quezon) are already conducting "mobile checkpoints" in support of the ongoing "hot pursuit operations" against the fleeing NPA terrorists.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php/articles/987833