Marine, 5 NPA rebels killed in Palawan clash

MANILA, Philippines — A Marine trooper and five communist rebels were killed in an encounter between the military and members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Brooke’s Point, Palawan, early Thursday.

Members of the Force Reconnaissance Group of the Philippine Marine Corps briefly clashed with around 20 NPA rebels shortly before 6 a.m. in Brgy. Mainit, 3rd Marine Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Nestor Herico told reporters.

Bonifacio “Salvador Luminoso” Magramo, the secretary of the Unite 4E of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee; and Andrea “Ka Naya” Rosal, daughter of late NPA spokesperson Ka Roger Rosal and deputy secretary of the group, were among the five rebels killed, Herico said.

Also, local military officials said Noel “Ka Celso” Siasico, NPA’s front operational command; Ren “Ka Amir” Manalo; and a certain “Ka RJ” were likewise killed during the skirmish. All allegedly belong to the NPA’s Bienvinedo Vallever Command (BVC) Palawan.

Herico later identified the fallen government soldier as SSgt. Cesar Barlas, a Palaweño marine.

The encounter was a result of “careful planning” since August 28 based on the shared information by the barangay network in the area, according to Herico.

“Yun ang guerrilla base nila eh. Sila ‘yung nagre-recruit, nag-o-organize ng mga tao dun sa Brooke’s Point. May mga tao kasi na taga barangay, inimpormahan kami na may mga armadong tao doon…So ayun pinuntahan natin to confirm, napa-engkwentro ang ating Force Reconnaissance Group,” Herico said.

Herico said the military confiscated “voluminous subversive” documents and a large collection of field artilleries used by Magramo and his comrades in a location identified by the informants “possibly based on the reward system” put out by the government officials.

But the other suspected members of the armed rebels fled to the “southwest direction” after the encounter, he added.

In November 2019, the local government and the military issued a bounty amounting to P5.4 million for Magramo, P6.1 million for Siasico, and P4.5 million for Rosal, who had been in a top list of NPA members in Palawan long-wanted by the law enforcement authorities.

Governor Jose Alvarez, chairman of the Palawan Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF ELCAC), in a separate statement, said the military’s success in southern Palawan “will cripple” the NPA’s BVC that has been sowing fear amongst residents in the area.

He urged the remaining NPA guerillas operating on the island to surrender to avoid more casualties on their side.

KGA/LZB