Soldier dead, 3 hurt in Camarines Sur clash

Camarines Sur province (outlined in red) in the Bicol region (Image from Google Maps)

LEGAZPI CITY—A soldier was killed and three members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) Active Auxiliaries were injured in a firefight happened after an ambush by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Libmanan town, Camarines Sur province Friday afternoon.

Col. Paul Regencia, spokesperson of Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said in an interview that a group of soldiers conducting inspection were ambushed by communist guerillas alongside the boundary of Barangays (villages) Malinao and Pag-Oring Nuevo at around 4:45 p.m.

Regencia said the soldiers were deployed to augment peace-keeping forces for the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the area.

He said around 10 NPA members waylaid the soldiers with the use of an improvised explosive device (IED).

The government troops fired back at the rebels and were engaged in a 15-minute gunfight.

Regencia stated that there are possible wounded members of the rebel group as they found traces of blood in the area.

Barangay Pag-Oring Nuevo is one of the 18 barangays in Libmanan, Camarines Sur that are being watched by authorities after it has been identified under Category 2 election hotspot in the upcoming local elections.

An area is considered a Category 2 election hotspot when there is intense rivalry among candidates, a history of election-related violence, and private armed groups and armed threats are present. Dale Jan Dino, Inquirer Intern