2 soldiers killed, 5 hurt in NPA attacks

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — In a renewed offensive in Southern Tagalog, communist rebels killed two Army soldiers and wounded five others in an ambush in Occidental Mindoro, and attacked two military camps in Batangas and Quezon, authorities said.

Police said men of the Army’s 16th Infantry Battalion, led by 2Lt. Romelino Teves, were on their way back to their camp in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro on board a military truck when they were waylaid along the highway in Mamburao town past noon last Friday.

Slain in the ambush were Cpl. Divino Umbac and Pfc. Michael Aderamos. Wounded were Sgt. Wilson Almeres, Corporals Ignacio Angga and Noli Escarcha, Pfc. Santiago Dimalangca and a certain Pfc. Timajo.

There were no casualties though in the NPA attacks in Batangas and Quezon also last Friday.

Chief Inspector Ranzel Ebasco, duty officer at Camp Nakar, said two motorcycle-riding men, believed to be guerrillas, lobbed two grenades at the gate of the camp in Lucena City, Quezon before midnight.

In Batangas, a 15-minute gun battle erupted at about the same time when rebels stormed the camp of the 740th Combat Squadron of the Philippine Air Force in Barrio Kahil, Calaca town.

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, NPA spokesman, said men of their Edgardo Dagle and Ulpiano Araneta Jr. Commands were responsible for the Batangas and Quezon attacks, respectively.

Rosal said they wanted to retaliate for the killing of three rebels in Calatagan, Batangas recently.