NPA ‘harasses’ military base in Batangas ahead of March 29 anniv – police

SAN PEDRO CITY- A band of suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels launched an apparent harassment attack by firing at a government paramilitary base in San Juan town in Batangas province, weeks before its anniversary, the police said on Thursday.

Supt. Joemar Labiano, police chief of San Juan, said suspected rebels opened fire on a newly-established base of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit in the remote Sitio (sub-village) Sampaloc in Barangay (village) Bulsa around 3 a.m. on Wednesday. The firing lasted for about five minutes without any casualty on either side.

Recovered from the scene were 58 cartridges from a 5.56-caliber rifle.

“According to our counterparts (in the Armed Forces of the Philippines), it was just their (NPA’s) way of making their presence felt since they are celebrating their anniversary on March 29,” Labiano said in a phone interview. The NPA was founded in 1968 as the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

Last week, sporadic encounters between the NPA and members of the Philippine Air Force were reported in the towns of Balayan, Calaca, and Tuy in Batangas. At least two government soldiers were reportedly hurt in the clashes./ac