More troops sent to Samar ‘hot spots’

TACLOBAN CITY—The military in Eastern Visayas are on full alert as they expect the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to launch offensives to celebrate their founding anniversary on March 29.

“The rebel group marks their anniversary by staging (attacks) to show that they are still strong and existing,” said Lt. Col. Niceforo Diaz, spokesperson of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Catbalogan City, in an interview over radio station dyDW.

Diaz said additional troops were deployed to hotspot areas in Samar provinces to neutralize any attempt of the NPA to stage attacks. He did not specify the areas considered “hot spots.”

Military officials in the region have been saying that the Samar provinces—Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar—have considerable presence of rebels.

A series of firefights between the rebels and government troops earlier took place in Northern Samar on March 10, 11, 13 and 14, resulting in the death of one soldier and the wounding of 15 others.

The first encounter took place between a group of 20 suspected rebels and soldiers on foot patrol in Barangay San Miguel of Las Navas town on March 10, said Lt. Col. William Peñafiel, commanding officer of the 34th Infantry Battalion based in Palapag town, also in Northern Samar.

During this fight, Private First Class Ryan Florende was wounded.

The following day, suspected communist rebels and the Army soldiers clashed also in Barangay San Miguel. The firefight resulted in the death of an NPA rebel and the recovery of an M-16 Armalite rifle, Peñafiel said.

On March 13, another encounter ensued in Barangay Nagoocan in Catubig town, which resulted to the death of Sgt. Aurelio Bucatcat, who was hit by an improvised landmine planted by the rebels.

The wounded soldiers during the March 13 firefight are Lt. Karl Vincent Collado, leader of the troop; Corp. Renato Whong, Private First Class (PFC) Edcyl Papel, PFC Eddie Baccol, Private Bernie Francisco, Private Marjun Fabriag, Private Albor Adonis, Private Robert Liad, Private Marlon Urbano and Private Melvin Siervo.

Four more soldiers, PFC Allan Vertudaso, Rafael Moldes, Pablo Loreto Camacho and Redentor de Guia, were wounded in another firefight that took place on March 14.

In an e-mailed statement, the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army  has called on their supporters and “revolutionary forces” to undertake activities in relation to the 42nd founding anniversary of the armed wing of the communist group on March 29.