NPA confirms 2 casualties in Isabela ‘raid’

From the Visayan Daily Star (Mar 11, 2022): NPA confirms 2 casualties in Isabela ‘raid’ (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

The New People’s Army Leonardo Panaligan Command has issued a statement denouncing the killing of two of its members during a raid in Brgy. Amin, Isabela, Negros Occidental, jointly conducted by the 62nd Infantry Battalion and the town police on March 10.

Rebel spokesperson Ka JB Regalado claimed in a statement he issued that Virgilio Marco “Ka Bidam” and Ben Jack “Ka Yuhan” Ruales were captured and mercilessly fired at, contrary to allegations that both killed died in the gunbattle.

But he acknowledged that Robert “Ka Kits” Ancino managed to hit two Army soldiers, although he was injured and captured.

PBrig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, regional police director of Western Visayas, said that the injured and captured rebel he identified as Robert Ancino, 21, is a hitman of the NPA.

Marco was also identified by the Philippine Army as commanding officer of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda (SYP) Lenovo Platoon, whose unit was responsible for series of killing of civilians in Moises Padilla and Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, Vallehermoso and Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, who they accused as military informants.

Two .45 caliber pistols and a hand grenade were recovered at the encounter site, according to the Isabela police. Dongbo said that Marco has a pending arrest warrant for illegal possession of firearms.

Regalado disputed police claims that they were about to serve the arrest warrant against Marco before the alleged encounter.

https://visayandailystar.com/npa-confirms-2-casualties-in-isabela-raid/