The military will conduct more operations as more encounters are to be expected as the 50th founding anniversary of the New People’s Army will be on March 29, says Lt. Col. Sisenado Magbalot Jr. (right), commanding officer of the Philippine Army 61st Infantry Battalion on Wednesday (March 20, 2019). (File photo)
ILOILO CITY -- At least three armed encounters between government troops and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) took place in Iloilo and Antique provinces in just a span of four days.
The series of clashes occurred in Barangay Mulangan, Igbaras, Iloilo on Sunday; Barangay Osorio-2 in San Remegio, Antique on Tuesday; and in Sitio Igburay, Barangay Lacay Doldol, Igbaras, Iloilo on Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Sisenado Magbalot Jr., commanding officer of 61IB, said government troops will not let the rebel group celebrate its 50th founding anniversary on March 29.
“We continue our combat operations especially that they are nearing their golden anniversary. We will not let them celebrate that occasion,” Magbalot said in an interview on Wednesday.
The 61IB troops on early Wednesday morning clashed with more or less 10 members of a rebel group in Sitio Igburay, Barangay Lacay Doldol, Igbaras.
“We received information on the location of these rebels and conducted strike operations,” he said.
The clash between government troops and rebels believed to be members of the Sibat Platoon, South Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay lasted for 15 minutes.
Magbalot said one soldier from the 61IB sustained a slight injury on his right cheek but he is now in stable condition.
“But for the enemies, we are very sure that we left some of them wounded. Our men reported they saw blood at the encounter site,” he said.
The 61IB troops recovered one Claymore mine, seven backpacks, two detonators for improvised bombs, two Baofeng radios, two cellular phones, two handcuffs, two magazines for M16, and 14 7.62-mm live ammunition.
Magbalot said the recent encounter is attributed to deployment of additional soldiers in the area following the first encounter in Barangay Mulangan, Igbaras on Sunday.
“We are continuously tracking their location. We deployed additional forces and even our K9 units in the area after the encounter on Sunday,” he said.
The first encounter on Sunday led to the capture of three NPA rebels -- Ramon “Toto” Elamparo, 48; Roberto “Nono” Elbao, 50; and Ruperto “Bebot” Elamparo, 50.
“They are considered the force multipliers of the NPA,” he said.
The arrest of the three will not necessarily lead the soldiers in capturing more rebel group members but Magbalot emphasized that “what’s important is we now know their other schemes”.
This, as the government troops also recovered nine anti-personnel mines from Ruperto’s house.
“Aside from deceiving ordinary members in joining community farmers’ organization, we found out that they also use houses of civilians in hiding the bombs,” he said.
Citing the statement of the captured rebel members, Magbalot said they plan to use the bombs to attack government forces.
Meanwhile, the 61IB troopers also fought with more or less 15 NPA rebels in a separate encounter in Barangay Osorio-2, San Remegio, Antique on Tuesday.
Soldiers were patrolling the area when they encountered the rebels, Magbalot said.
Recovered from the Antique clash were 200-meter electric wire, 37 empty shells of 5.56mm cartridges, three empty shells of 7.62mm cartridges, and four empty shells of 12-gauge shotgun.
“As of now, we do not know how they are going to celebrate the 50 years of killings of civilians, extortion and other terroristic activities but they definitely want to show that they still have the force,” he said.
Magbalot said the government troops are also preparing for focus operations in Central Panay and added that they “will inflict more casualty” on the NPA rebels.
He added that more encounters between the government troops and rebels are expected as the NPA anniversary draws near.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1065159
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