A ranking official of the New People’s Army (NPA) and two of his men died in a fierce gunbattle with authorities in the town of Kalayaan in Laguna, Tuesday.
Gen. Archie Francisco Gamboa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said the encounter happened with forces from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), chancing upon the group of men in Barangay San Antonio while conducting routine security patrol in the area around 1 a.m.
“The encounter lasted for one hour and it resulted in the death of the three rebels,” said Gamboa, identifying the slain rebels as Dioscorro Cello and a certain Ka Omar and Ka Danny.
Cello, who uses the alias Ka Termo, was reportedly the Platoon Leader of Platun Laguna-Quezon, Melito Glor Command, Main Regional Guerilla Unit, Southern Tagalog Region, and General Secretary of Cesar Batrallo Command.
Gamboa added that Cello had a P3.8 million bounty on his head.
Recovered at the encounter site were four assault rifles, a grenade launcher, IED bombs, triggering devices, radio transceivers and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition.
Following the encounter, Gamboa ordered all police units across the country to be vigilant and to enhance personnel security and conduct preventive and proactive operations to prevent possible surprise attacks from the rebels.
He also tasked police commanders to regularly coordinate with the military in their respective areas.