Ranking communist rebel among killed in Abra clash
MANILA, Philippines – A ranking communist rebel official was among the 12 New People’s Army fighters who died during Monday’s clash in Abra, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
Loverito Bernal, alias Oxy, of the Kilusang Larangang Guerrilla North East, Abra Party Committee, died when a platoon of soldiers conducting security controls clashed with a group of NPA rebels in the mountainous northern town of Tineg, acting Army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc said.
But Cabunoc, quoting reports from 41st Infantry Battalion Commanding Officer Lieutenant Colonel Noel Baluyan, said that Bernal was tagged by residents as among those extorting money from them.
Cabunoc identified the other casualties as Reynaldo Masadao alias Chris and Junjun Balbin alias Recti, both were on military’s order of battle list.
In a separate text message, Captain Jovily Carmel Cabading, spokesman of the military’s Northern Luzon Command, identified the other casualties only by their monikers as Ogie, a female fighter acting as a medical officer, Omeng, Bunso, Berlyn, and another female fighter identified as Winnie.
Seized from the rebels were one M16 assault rifle, four M653 baby armalite rifles, and one M14 assault rifle.
One soldier, Private First Class Lloyd G. Tega, was killed, said Cabading.
Cabunoc said that the body of Tega, a native of Pinukpuk, Kalinga, was taken to Bangued town to be claimed by his wife. The remains of the rebels were brought to Tineg town and were received by Mayor Edwin Crisologo, he said.
Army Chief Lieutenant General Arturo Ortiz has expressed condolences to the families of the slain rebels and soldier.
“I call on our brothers in the rebel movement to return to the folds of the law and take part in the peaceful resolution of this insurgency problem,” said Cabunoc quoting Ortiz.
The clash came nearly at the same time as NPA rebels also “harassed” a retreat camp on the southern island of Mindanao Monday, although they quickly fled and left 13 foreign guests unharmed, the police said.
The hostilities come a week after NPA rebels in the southern island of Mindanao attacked three mines, burning equipment and forcing President Benigno Aquino III to deploy more troops to protect vulnerable targets nationwide.
The latest clashes also appeared to overturn goodwill created when the NPA released seven hostages it had held for up to four months in the south, including a town mayor it accused of human rights violations, officials said.
Philippine communists have been waging a rebellion since 1969 and the NPA, their armed wing, is believed to have about 5,000 fighters spread across mostly poor and remote areas of the countryside.
The government is involved in on-again, off-again talks with the communists, and both sides had said the talks would resume later this month in Norway, but it was not clear how the new hostilities could affect the negotiations. With Agence France-Presse and Frances Mangosing
