5 rebels, 1 cop killed in Mindanao battles

ZAMBOANGA CITY — At least five communist rebels and a policeman were killed while several others were wounded, including a government militiaman, in three separate encounters between the military and New People’s Army (NPA) in northern Mindanao, military officials said yesterday.

Southern Command chief Lt. Gen. Roy Kyamko said the fresh wave of encounters between the military and the NPA first broke out in Balingasag town, Misamis Oriental when combined government militiamen and soldiers of the 9th Infantry Batallion clashed with 14 communist rebels, under the command of Celso Hilogon, alias Rey, on Saturday.

The firefight that lasted 20 minutes left two rebels dead and a soldier wounded, Kyamko said. The troops also recovered a Garand and M16 rifles and two combat packs.

Hours later, 40 heavily armed NPA rebels flagged down passenger vehicles, including the service vehicle of a former mayor in Barangay Poblacion, Bacuag town in Surigao del Norte.

The rebels divested the civilian passengers of their cash and personal belongings and killed the police bodyguard of former Mayor Danilo Orquina.

Maj. Gen. Samuel Bagasin, chief of the 4th Army Division, reported that the rebels at gunpoint ordered Orquina’s bodyguard disarmed before he was shot.

"The series of highway robberies only indicate that communist rebels have turned into banditry because of dwindling support from the masses and because they are running out of financial resources," Bagasin said.

Meanwhile, three NPA rebels were killed Sunday when at least 20 NPA guerrillas engaged patrolling government troopers in a firefight in sitio Manlukotan, Barangay maliwanag, Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.

According to 4th ID spokesman, Lt. Col. Felicisimo Budiongan, a team of CAFGU active auxilliaries (CAA) under the operational control oft he 29th IB clashed with the communist guerrillas. Budiongan said the military recovered three firearms — an M16 Armalite rifle, a Garand rifle and a shotgun— believed to have been used by the dead guerrillas.

"The series of encounter should have sent a clear signal to them that they are fighting a motivated and agressive soldier. They can choose death or surrender and live a peaceful life with their loved ones," Bagasin warned. — With Ben Serrano