Philippines: NPA rebels suffer heavy losses in Sarangani
GENERAL SANTOS CITY – Successive losses in the battlefield have put the New People’s Army (NPA) on the defensive as three more communist rebels were slain in Maasim, Sarangani Wednesday, November 5.
The latest NPA casualties came a day after another rebel was also killed in Barangay Lumasal as government forces launched pursuit operations against the retreating communist rebel band.
Police said nine high-powered firearms were recovered during the encounter that resulted into the death of the NPA rebels.
Military sources said the slain rebels belonged to the same NPA unit which they encountered Tuesday.
The dead rebels are still to be identified.
This came as police authorities in Maasim identified the NPA rebel slain in the Tuesday encounter in Lumasal as one Freddie Ayog. Ayog is reportedly a resident of nearby Barangay Nomoh.
An M-16 rifle was recovered from Ayog.
Military operations are still ongoing to flush out the remaining rebels belonging to the Front 73 of the NPA’s Far South Mindanao Regional Command.
NPA rebels belonging to the Far South Mindanao Regional command. Pic: Edwin Espejo
Only last month three NPA rebels were also killed in Malita, Davao del Sur including Mark Bryle Garduque, said to be the platoon leader of the rebel group, in a series of running gun battles with government forces.
Garduque headed one of the NPA platoons under the Front 75 guerrilla unit of the Far South Mindanao Regional Command.
A rebel source confirmed the death of one of their top ranking commanders, including the loss of several firearms.
Capt. Ernest Carolina, spokesman of the Army’s 10th division, said 11 high-powered rifles were seized from the rebels during the October encounters in Malita.
This brought the total firearms recovered from the rebels under the Far South Mindanao command of the NPA to 21 rifles in a span of less than one month.
The spokesman of 1002nd Brigade declined to give further details of the encounter in Maasim.
He said Army Chief Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri is arriving today, November 6 and will hold a press a conference.
