Militiaman, NPA rebel killed in Davao del Norte clash

DAVAO CITY, Philippines–A militiaman and a New People’s Army rebel were killed in yet another encounter in Mindanao, this time, in the town of San Isidro in Davao del Norte early Sunday.

Capt. Ernest Carolina, spokesperson of the military’s 10th Infantry Division, said the firefight, which lasted for 40 minutes, also left a militiaman wounded.

Carolina said the militiamen were sent to Barangay Dacudao following reports the rebels were in the village.

He identified the dead militia as Ronel Lagare, who was initially wounded and died hours later in a hospital. The wounded militia was identified as Wennie Piyao and is currently recovering from his injuries at the Kapalong District Hospital.

Carolina said the slain rebel remained unidentified and the body had been turned over to the San Isidro police.

Also recovered from the scene of the firefight were several AK-47 magazines, detonating wire, and anti-personnel mine blast fragments.

Pocket violence between government troops and communist rebels have been occurring in various parts of Mindanao since the start of the year, resulting more than a dozen deaths on both sides, amid a scrapped peace agreement.

Calls for the resumption of the peace process with the communists had not yielded positive results as of yet, with the government and the National Democratic Front accusing each other of insincerity.–K.M