Police seize explosives after clash with suspected NPA rebels in Masbate

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay, Philippines – Police officers recovered improvised explosive devices (IEDs) on Sunday morning following a 10-minute firefight with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Masbate City in Masbate province.

The officers were in pursuit of the perpetrators of the explosion that happened in Barangay Anas when they encountered an undetermined number of NPA rebels in Barangay Mapina at around 11:30 a.m., according to the Col. Joriz Cantoria, Masbate provincial police chief.

Mapina is adjacent to Anas.

No one on the government side was hurt in the firefight.

Recovered from the area were assorted sizes of IEDs and components.

Cantoria earlier reported that Nolven Absalon, 40, and his cousin Kieth Absalon, 21, died at the explosion in Barangay Anas at around 6:45 a.m.

Nolven’s son Chrisbin Daniel was wounded in his right index finger and was taken to Masbate Provincial Hospital for treatment.

The victims were biking with a group of riders when the incident happened.

Kieth was a player of the Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws men’s football team.

In a statement, the FEU Athletics said Kieth won multiple Midfielder of the Year awards and was named as most valuable player of University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) Season 78.

He also competed in the 2018 ASEAN Football Federation Championships in Indonesia as a member of the Under 19 Philippine team.

“Kieth’s toughness on the field and constant smiles off it will truly be missed by his brothers in the men’s football team and the entire FEU community,” FEU posted on its Facebook page.

It said that Kieth started his football journey with FEU when he was a seventh grader in 2013 and became one of the best high school players in UAAP football history.

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