Update: 4 rebels, 1 soldier die; 7 wounded in Masbate encounter

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 4): Update: 4 rebels, 1 soldier die; 7 wounded in Masbate encounter

Four members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and a Philippine Army soldier died and seven others were wounded in a 30-minute firefight between some 30 rebels and the government troopers on Monday afternoon at Barangay Palobandera, Cawayan, Masbate.

Dead was SSgt. Fernando Leynes Jr. while wounded and brought to the Masbate Provincial Hospital were soldiers Corporal Rolly Razalo, Cpl. Ian Abonita and Cpl. Pedro Umdap, and Rogelio Abelita, Joebert Badillo, Adam Fajardo and Gary Vista, whose affiliations were still unknown as of press time.

The dead NPA members have also not yet been identified as of press time and are now at the funeral parlor for autopsy and proper disposition.

Chief Supt. Victor P. Deona, Bicol regional police director, said the encounter started at about 5:40 p.m. while combined elements of the PA’s Bravo Company and the Masbate Provincial Police Public Safety Company were returning to home base after serving a search warrant on a suspect in Barangay Tuburan, Cawayan, who yielded firearms and explosives.

After their operation, the government soldiers were on their way back to their respective camps on board two trucks when the rebels fired at the troops.

The government troopers were able to fire back and engaged the rebels in a firefight that lasted for 30 minutes.

The law enforcers recovered one pistol at the encounter site, along with the four dead rebels.

Earlier before the incident, the troops confiscated one Ingram sub-machine gun rifle and one caliber .45 pistol in Barangay Tuburan, Cawayan, Masbate.

Another platoon from the joint Army-PNP group also arrested two rebels and confiscated one M16 rifle, landmines, laptop and other anti-government documents in Barangay Libas, Placer, Masbate.

Immediate burial and financial assistance will be given to the bereaved family of Leynes while the wounded soldiers have been evacuated to a military hospital for immediate recovery.

Major Gen. Yerson E. Depayso, Army’s 9th Infantry Division commander, said "The joint Army-PNP security operations in Masbate are one of the efforts of the security forces to priority areas wherein the conduct of focused military operations that will result in the clearing of rebel-affected areas."

Masbate and Sorsogon are still to be declared as conflict-manageable provinces in the region, targeted until end of 2016.

Other provinces in Bicol were formally declared "Conflict-manageable and ready for further development" in the late 2014 until the second quarter of this year through partnerships and efforts with other stakeholders. During the encounter, the Deona was in the province as guest of the Provincial Peace and Order Council’s second meeting for the year.

Presided over by Acting Governor Vince Revil, the meeting tackled the peace and order situation of the province, especially the aspects of illegal fishing, illegal drugs and illegal gambling.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=789564