INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
LEGAZPI CITY — An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed Tuesday in an encounter in Pio V Corpuz town in Masbate province, the Philippine Army said in a report on Wednesday, June 12.
Major Frank Roldan, spokesperson of the 9th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army, said in a belated report that a platoon from the Alpha Company of the 2nd Infantry Battalion had a 20-minute firefight with the NPA that left an unidentified rebel dead in Barangay Tubog around 5:30 a.m.
READ: 9 alleged NPA rebels ‘neutralized’ in Masbate
Roldan said the 12 NPA rebels were led by Bobby Cañete, aka “Den-den”/”Bugas,” of the Komiteng Larangang Guerilla South.
The government troops recovered several firearms, including one M14 rifle, one M16 rifle, and one M653 rifle.