Gov’t troops, NPA rebels clash in Batangas

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

SAN PEDRO CITY — Government troops and communist rebels clashed in Nasugbu town in Batangas province on Monday morning, military reports said.

Major Engelberto Nioda Jr., commander of the Philippine Air Force 730th Combat Group, said his men clashed with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the villages of Utod and Bunducan at past 8 a.m.

He said the firefight was still ongoing at 10 a.m. He did not say if the government or rebel group had suffered casualties.

Nioda, in a telephone interview, said more than 20 NPAs fled their camp, where soldiers seized a “sketch” of a supposed plan to disrupt the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Leaders’ Summit in Manila last week.

“This is group was supposed to carry out tactical operations during the Asean (summit). It was aborted because of our operations,” Nioda said.

Soldiers in Batangas have been conducting operations since the weekend.

On Saturday, President Duterte announced his plan to classify the NPA as a terrorist organization. /cbb