MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Air Force ground combat troopers neutralized a consolidated 20-man New People’s Army (NPA) engagement force in Batangas during a fierce pre-dawn firefight in Sitio Tagusan, Barangay Mabayabas in Taysan, Batangas yesterday.
PAF spokesman Lt. Col. Miguel Ernesto Okol said that the incident resulted to the death of three insurgent fighters, wounding a 20-year-old woman combatant who was captured along with two other rebels and recovered nine high caliber firearms.
Okol said that Lt Col. Arnel Villareal, commander of PAF’s 740th Combat Group was earlier informed about the presence of insurgents in the area by residents who are fed up with the rebels’ extortion activities.
Okol identified the killed rebels as Danilo Dandan, squad leader of Apollo 12, Kilusang Larangan Gerilya Honda, Komite Probinsyal Batangas-Cavite; the team’s female medical officer, Charito Bautista alias Ada; Jopen, Nicole and a certain Ka Randy.
Villareal said the insurgents failed to evacuate a wounded female companion, identified only as Merly alias Sandra, who was captured along with 19-year-olds Ronilo Baez, alias Ka Eugene and Romy Cañete, alias Ka Romy. Airman First Class Michael Lalug was also wounded in the encounter.
Recovered from the rebels were four M-16 armalite rifles, one M-203 grenade launcher, one M-16 rifle with bipod and sniper’s scope, five rifle grenades, ammunition of different calibers, two handheld radios and subversive documents.
The PAF 740th Combat Group has been engaging the community residents of Taysan via an information drive that awakened the residents about the activities of the rebels in their area, as well as the need to secure vital PAF installations in Batangas.
PAF chief Lt. Gen. Oscar Rabena congratulated the troops for their latest anti-insurgency accomplishment in Batangas.