LUCENA CITY – Four alleged New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed and five others were captured in separate encounters with Army soldiers in Camarines Sur province on Monday and Tuesday.
Three still unidentified NPA guerrillas were slain in a clash with soldiers from the Army’s 83rd Infantry Battalion in Bato town around 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, according to the text message of 1st Lt. Felise Solano, deputy public information officer of the military’s Southern Luzon Command.
After more than one hour of firefight, the government troops captured five NPA rebels, some of them wounded.
The soldiers also recovered three M16 rifles from the rebels.
Quoting another report, Solano said another group of NPA rebels left behind the body of their slain comrade after an encounter in Barangay Gubat in Lagonoy town on Mondaymorning.
Though they support President Duterte’s call for the resumption of the peace talks with the communist rebels, “we will still perform our mandate to protect the people,”
said Solcom commander Lt. General Danilo Pamonag in a statement.
He said one of the captured wounded guerrillas almost died from a bullet wound, but the soldier’s medical team treated him and saved his life.
He commended the troops’ concern for their fellow Filipinos and their respect for human rights.