Butuan encounter death toll at 5, after 2 more bodies found

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 19, 2023): Butuan encounter death toll at 5, after 2 more bodies found (By Alexander Lopez)

MORE DEAD BODIES. Troops from the Philippine Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion recover two more cadavers of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Mt. Apo-Apo, Barangay Anticala, Butuan City, bringing the number of killed guerrillas to five as of Sunday (June 18, 2023). The 29IB launched an operation in the area on June 16 following the reported massing up of NPA rebels in the area. (Photo courtesy of 901st IBde)

BUTUAN CITY – The number of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed in the June 16 encounter in Barangay Anticala here rose to five as two more cadavers were recovered by military troops on Sunday.

One of the recovered cadavers belonged to Adonis Maglasang Arellano, the vice squad commander of the NPA Regional Operational Command of the North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee, the Philippine Army’s 901st Infantry Brigade (901st IBde) said in a statement Monday.

Troopers of the Army’s 29th Infantry Battalion (29IB) were scouring the vicinity of the encounter site in Mt. Apo-Apo, Sitio Dugyaman, Barangay Anticala, when they discovered the bodies, a 901st IBde statement said.

An AK-47 rifle was also recovered by the troops, bringing the total number of recovered firearms to 16 since the encounter.

A source of the Philippine News Agency identified the names of the other NPA casualties as Raylin Zubiri, the wife of Arellano and a finance staff of the NEMRC; Eljie G. Adorna, a member of Platoon Dao, Sub-Regional Sentro De Grabidad Westland (SRSDG Westland) of NEMRC; Mikee Quillano Iligan, a member of Platoon Apitong of SRSDG Westland; and a certain Albert Catapte.

Last week’s encounter was the result of a 29IB strike operation following a tip by a civilian on the presence of some 30 NPA rebels massing up in Mt. Apo-Apo.

In the same statement, Brig. Gen. George Banzon, 901st IBde commander, said there were no reports of civilians getting trapped in the area during the clash.

“The military forces owe the result of the operation to the cooperation of concerned civilians. This is a clear manifestation that the people are tired and fully aware of the false propaganda of the NPA rebels,” Banzon said.

He also extended his sympathies to the families of the slain NPA rebels.

“If these rebels only heed to our repeated call to abandon the armed struggle and submit themselves to the government authorities, this hapless fate might not have happened to them,” Banzon said.

He urged civilians to continue working with the government to end the NPA problem in the region.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203814