3 suspected NPA rebels slain in Cagayan clash

TUGUEGARAO CITY—Three alleged New People’s Army rebels were killed during a battle around 10:30 p.m. Maundy Thursday between the rebels and Army soldiers at the boundary of the towns of Piat and Sto. Niño in Cagayan province, police said Friday.

Captain Isabelita Gano, Cagayan police spokesperson, said the gunbattle happened in Barangay Virginia, Sto. Niño, but the killed rebels were found in the adjoining village of Maguilling in Piat.

The other rebels allegedly fled toward the northwest part of Cagayan.

The killed rebels were later identified as Saturnino Lao Agunoy alias “Peping,” the alleged head of the regional organizing department of the NPA in Cagayan Valley; Mark Canta alias “Uno,” allegedly of the Giyang Pampulitika/Kilusang Larangang Guerilya (GPKLG) West of the rebel group operating in Cagayan Valley; and a certain Val, supposedly the medical officer of the GPKLG.

The Sto. Niño police said they were informed of the clash between the rebels and soldiers, prompting them to put up a “high-risk checkpoint” around the clash site and verify from local hospitals if  wounded persons were brought in for treatment.

Army soldiers led by Lt. Josua Arpon, the 501st Brigade operations chief, were involved in the clash with 15 suspected communist rebels led by a certain Ferdinand Bautista, alias “Ka Edgar” and “Ka Simoy,” the report said.

Army Captain Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division spokesperson, said in the report that Agunoy had pending arrest warrants for 12 cases of qualified assault upon an agent of a person in authority, with P120,000 bail bond each; two cases of qualified assault with murder that had no bail; and three other cases for arson (P24,000 bail), murder (no bail); and rebellion (200,000 bail).

The Provincial Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Canine Unit and Scene of the Crime Operation that processed the scene with Army soldiers reported to have found two cal. 45 pistols,  a hand grenade, a backpack with laptop, a mobile phone with charger, personal devices and medical supplies, and anti-government documents with “high intelligence value.”

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