17 guerrillas killed in Ecija clashes, NPA letters show

CARRANGLAN, Nueva Ecija - Seventeen suspected guerrillas of the New People’s Army (NPA) have been killed so far in the military’s month-long operations to protect the Casecnan dam and hydroelectric power plant and other vital facilities in this province from possible attacks.

The military got this information from letters sent by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA to the families of the slain cadres.

Intelligence operatives of the Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. William Campos gathered the letters.

Earlier, the military reported that only seven rebels and one soldier were killed in heavy fighting in Barangay Puncan here last Nov. 20.

The NPA was reportedly planning to carry out an operation codenamed "Channel," which included the collection of "revolutionary taxes" worth millions of pesos from big businesses in Nueva Ecija and nearby provinces.

Col. Jovenal Narcise, commander of the 702nd Infantry Brigade based in this province, said the 17 slain insurgents included May Jorduelo, alias Ka Kin, of Barangay Pantoc, Gabaldon town here, said to be the commander of the Sandatahang Yunit Propaganda of the Nueva Ecija provincial party committee, and one Ka Arthur, one of the NPA unit’s team leaders.

In a report to Maj. Gen. Alberto Braganza, commanding general of the 7th ID, Narcise said the letters identified the other slain rebels as Fernando Paggao, alias Ka Nonoy, of Kaliwanagan, San Jose City; Esteban Crisostomo, of Bagong Flores, Lupao town; Gary Soliven, alias Ka Jef or Jepoy, of Bonifacio, Cuyapo town; Ed Peralto, of Sitio Lomboy Balon in Tayago, San Jose City; Rudy Villanova of Palaspas, Rizal town; Ising Miranda, also of Palaspas; siblings Romy and Ricky Samrano, of Baracbac, Rizal; Pido Sapigao, of Ganduz, Pantabangan town; and five others known only as Ka Carding, Ka Anton, Ka Omeng, Ka Liway and Ka Loida.

The wounded rebels were identified as Ely Agmaliw, alias Ka Aldo; and a certain Ka Dindo and Evangelista.

"Most of the fatalities were buried in unmarked graves by their fleeing comrades. The government troops are still on pursuit and search operations to neutralize the remaining armed members of Front 2 of the Nueva Ecija provincial party committee and locate the firearms of their fallen comrades," Narcise said.

The military seized three M-16 rifles, assorted magazines and ammunition, subversive documents and personal belongings during the recent clashes with the NPA in this province.

"The NPA continues to be on the run and this has become a major setback to their expansion, organizational and terrorist plans in Nueva Ecija. More proactive and preemptive measures are being conducted by our troops to deter plans of retaliation by the enemy against our troops and patrol bases," Narcise said.

On the government side, Cpl. Tony Caballero was killed during the clashes, while Cpl. Joe Julius Curameng was wounded.

Last month, 50 NPA rebels raided an Army detachment near the Diapitan Resources Development Corp. in Aurora and torched part of the company’s compound for reportedly refusing to pay "revolutionary taxes."