3 soldiers killed, 3 hurtin battle with NPA rebels

29 May 2007

SORSOGON CITY—THREE SOLDIERS WERE killed and three others were wounded Sunday in a four-hour gun battle with communist rebels who had burned a Globe Telecom cell site, military officials said Monday.

Lt. Col. Claudio Yucot, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Battalion, said the encounter with around 60 heavily armed members of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) occurred in Barangay Lahong, in the town of Baleno, about 35 kilometers west of Masbate City.

He said the insurgents were armed with high-powered weapons like M-60 machine guns and M-203 grenade launchers.

Yucot identified those killed as Pfc. Exequiel Matucad of Bato, Camarines Sur; Pfc. Domingo Papa of Polangui, Albay, and Pfc. Rocky Gabata of Masbate City while the wounded were Pfc. Exequiel de Ocampo, Pvt. Jerry de la Cruz and Pfc. Ian Solamo.

Lt. Col. Roderick Parayno, spokesperson of the Southern Luzon Command based at Camp Nakar, Lucena City, said this was the same band of NPA rebels that burned and then attempted to bomb a cell site belonging to Globe Telecom on Saturday.

The running gun battle began at around 8 a.m. Although outnumbered, the soldiers tried valiantly to hold their position but the three men fell before reinforcements arrived at noon, Parayno said.

The report said the rebels withdrew towards the northwest, apparently carrying their casualties and wounded based on the traces of blood on the escape route.

After the firefight, the government troops recovered one improvised land mine, firing wire, molotov cocktails, subversive documents and personal belongings.

Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano, Solcom chief, ordered more intensified anti-insurgency operations in Masbate following the series of NPA offensives in the province.

Meanwhile, in a statement sent to the Inquirer, Greg Bañares, National Democratic Front-Bicol spokesperson, said it was the NPA’s Jose Rapsing Command that was behind the ambush. He also said that contrary to military reports, there were four killed on the government side.

TSgt. Armando Escote, noncommissioned officer in charge of the Civil Relations Unit in Bicol, said there had been six clashes between the NPA and government soldiers in Masbate since the last elections. Bobby Labalan, Delfin Mallari Jr. and Ephraim Aguilar, Inquirer Southern Luzon and Christine O. Avendaño in Manila