2 NPA officers slain in Tarlac clash

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Two suspected high-ranking officers of the New People’s Army (NPA) in northeastern Luzon were killed on Wednesday in a firefight with government soldiers and policemen at San Manuel town in Tarlac province, a report from the Central Luzon regional police camp here confirmed on Thursday.

The report said Victorio Tesorio and Lolito Raza fired at soldiers and policemen who were serving them arrest warrants in the house of Jose Dallente Caroy at Barangay San Miguel.

Tesorio was reportedly the head of the NPA northeastern Luzon regional command, while Raza was the head of the Danilo Ben command of the NPA’s northern front.

Murder, rebellion

The warrants stemmed from cases of murder, frustrated murder, multiple murder and rebellion filed against Tesorio and Raza.

Police reported recovering two guns, two hand grenades, a laptop and antigovernment documents from the two men.

Police said Caroy faced charges for harboring criminals.

Chief Supt. Amador Corpus, Central Luzon police director, said the operation was a result of “concerted operations and diligent efforts of the police and the military to arrest all lawless elements in the region.”

The Armed Forces’ Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said in a separate report that the NPA had stepped up attacks.

On Jan. 23, Nolcom tagged the NPA to be behind the killing of Johnny Adaol, a retired policeman, at Sitio Luyucan in Tabuk City, Kalinga province.

Kalinga clash

On the same day, a clash took place in Pinukpuk town, also in Kalinga, where two soldiers were killed and two others wounded.

The NPA, the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, had stepped up attacks in parts of Luzon before President Duterte unilaterally canceled the peace talks in late 2017. The attacks took place in Batangas and Northern Luzon provinces. —TONETTE OREJAS