3 ‘rebels’ slain in clash with gov’t troops in N. Ecija

Combined police and military forces seized guns, ammunition and these supposed propaganda materials after a 10-minute armed encounter with alleged rebels in Nueva Ecija. (Contributed)

QUEZON, Nueva Ecija — Three suspected members of the communist-led New People’s Army were killed during a reported encounter with combined police and military forces here on Tuesday afternoon.

One of the fatalities was identified as Nicomedes Ortiz, alias Ka Dagohoy, who was the subject of arrest warrants that the government troops were supposed to serve prior to the 10-minute gunfire, police said.

Investigators said the operation was led by members of the Army’s 84th and 91st Infantry Battalion (IB) and the police’s 2nd provincial mobile field company.

Police said the warrants that were issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 30 of Nueva Vizcaya and RTC Branch 3 of Baler, Aurora were for rebellion and murder charges against Ortiz.

Initial investigation showed that the armed encounter began when suspected rebels fired shots at the government forces in Barangay San Alejandro here at 5:40 p.m.

Lt. Col. Honorato Pascual Jr., 84IB commander, said Ortiz led the NPA’s Special Partisan Unit (Sparu) and served as the finance officer of the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya Sierra Madre.

The two other fatalities were identified as Bernardinon Liberato,a resident of Barangay Sto. Tomas Ceria here and Erlita Ogalinola, a resident of Barangay San Vicente, Cabiao.

Recovered from the encounter site were a 9mm-caliber pistol, a .45-caliber, a .30-caliber US Carbine, two hand grenades, ammunition, and alleged propaganda materials.

LZB