High ranking NPA leader in Western Mindanao killed in clash with Army

ILIGAN CITY—A high ranking official of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Western Mindanao was killed in a clash with government troops on Friday night, November 13, in Tampilisan town, Zamboanga del Norte.

The Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) of the Army’s 1st Infantry Division identified the guerrilla Leonido Nabong, who also goes by the alias Coco and Baste.

Nabong was wounded in a 45-minute firefight and was still breathing when found by troops at the encounter site, according to Captain Clint Antipala, DPAO head.

The soldiers tried to revive him to no avail, Antipala added.

The encounter site is around 10 kilometers from the town proper of Tampilisan.

In a statement released by the DPAO, Nabong was identified by former NPA rebels who surrendered to the military.

Nabong is said to be a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ Mindanao Commission while also serving as deputy secretary of the Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC).

“Coco or Baste, as we commonly know him, was one of the remaining pillars, the oldest and the most hardcore personality of the WMRPC,” said Lt. Col. Don Templonuevo, commander of the Army’s 44th Infantry Battalion.

The government forces seized from the site four M16 rifles, an M14 rifle, and an M203 grenade launcher left behind by Nabong’s group as they scampered away.

CFC