NPA escapee slain in encounter

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected New People’s Army rebel who was rescued with several of his comrades from the Lucena City jail last year was killed in an encounter with Army troops in Pitogo, Quezon.

The fatality in the early morning encounter was identified as Fernando Tawagon alias Ka Anton.

Troops from the 76th Infantry Battalion cornered the NPA fugitive at his hiding place at Barangay Guinagasan at about 6:30 a.m.

Currently the Vice Squad leader of the Guerilla Front 42 operating in southern Quezon, Ka Anton was among the NPA rebels rescued by their comrades in a daring raid at the Lucena City jail in October last year.

Relatedly, Army troops, while conducting strike operations in the vicinity of Barangay Taquico, Sampaloc recovered a cache of rebel explosives.

These explosives include 12 dynamite sticks, improvised explosive devices with two electrical blasting caps and four kilos of ammonium nitrate. Also recovered from the crime scene was an M-6-5-3 baby armalite rifle.

Troops are still scouring the area for possible recovery of the NPA’s hidden explosive stockpile in the area. – Jaime Laude and Michelle Zoleta