Body of alleged NPA fighter found in Surigao del Sur town

From ABS-CBN (Jul 15): Body of alleged NPA fighter found in Surigao del Sur town

State troops in Surigao del Norte found the decomposing body of a suspected member of the New People's Army (NPA) after residents in Gigaquit town complained of a foul smell in the neighborhood, the military said Sunday.

Lt. Colonel Allen Tomas of the 30th Infantry Battalion said the military's community support program team, along with local village officials, found the rotting body, which was the source of the odor, a kilometer away from the houses in Barangay Lahi.

Tomas said the body had been identified by his father as Romel Tac-an, alias "Jasper," allegedly the vice commander of the NPA's Sangay ng Partido sa Platun 16C.

The soldier said troops recovered a pair of rain boots, a bandoleer, a rifle, 4 magazines, and 81 rounds of ammunition from Tac-an's body.

Tomas said Tac-an may have been left by NPA fighters belonging to Sangay ng Partido, Guerilla Front Committee 16, and North Eastern Mindanao Regional Command, who fled after a 15-minute clash with the military last July 10.

"This is not the first incident where NPA terrorists leave their dead comrade in the encounter site," he said.

http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/15/18/body-of-alleged-npa-fighter-found-in-surigao-del-sur-town