NPA camp captured in Mindanao

KORONADAL CITY — Ground forces of the 601st Brigade captured a New People’s Army (NPA) base camp at the tri-boundary of Sultan Kudarat, South Cotabato and Davao Del Sur.

Col. Alfredo Cayton, commanding officer of the 601st Brigade based in Barangay Katangawan in General Santos City, said there was no shootout with the rebels when his troops raided the base camp.

The 601st and 602nd brigades launched a military operation to clear the hinterlands of the tri-boundary of the said provinces of NPA rebels last week. There were several encounters between the Army troops and rebels prior to the most recent raid.

But Cayton said his troops were able to seize a cache of firearms and equipment and documents left by the Communist insurgents, headed by a certain Manuel Fernandez, also known as Kumander Bubu.

The seized firearms include five 12-gauge shotguns, one caliber .38 pistol, one live Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG), and ammunition of caliber .38, M-16 rifle, shotguns and a Garand rifle.

Also seized were several subversive documents and communication equipment like a Motorola radio, a UHF Icom, typewriter and cellular phone.

Cayton said his troops, along with the soldiers from 602nd Brigade based in North Cotabato, are still conducting hot pursuit operations against the group.

Meanwhile, in Lupao, Nueva Ecija, three suspected NPA rebels were killed in a 15-minute gunbattle with government troops Sunday.

Reports reaching the office of the Public Information Office (PIO) of the Police Regional Office-3, said combined operatives of the 71st Infantry Battalion, 307th Provincial Mobile Group and the Lupao police encountered some 14 heavily armed men believed to be NPA rebels in Barangay Cordero, Lupao town.

One of the three rebels killed during the firefight was identified as Roman Frelo y Estrella, a.k.a. Jong-jong, 18, of Parañaque, Metro Manila.

Government troopers were dispatched to the area after concerned citizens reported the presence of armed men roaming around the village, the report said.

While approaching the area, the rebels reportedly fired upon the Army troops and a firefight ensued. The rebels withdrew and fled to different directions after seeing that their three comrades had been killed.

Recovered from the scene of the encounter were four M-14 Armalite rifles, magazines with ammunition and backpacks containing subversive documents.

There were no casualties on the government side. — With reports from Ric Sapnu