Three suspected New People's Army (NPA) fighters were killed by the military in separate armed encounters in Negros Occidental and Quezon province, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported Wednesday, April 20.
Col. Jorry Baclor, chief of AFP public affairs office, said the successive military offensives were part of the intensified campaign of the AFP against the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People's Army (CPP-NPA), which they call communist-terrorist groups (CTGs), to secure the May 9 elections.
"The AFP has stepped up its security operations against the CTGs ahead of the May election to ensure that they cannot launch atrocities that may affect the people's right to vote for their chosen leaders," Baclor said.
A military report reaching Camp Aguinaldo disclosed that elements of the Philippine Army's 15th Infantry Battalion (15IB), 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) chanced upon a group of armed men at Sitio Bajay, Brgy. Caliling in Cauayan, Negros Occidental last Tuesday while they were conducting combat operations.
The encounter happened at around 6:10 a.m. and lasted for about 15 minutes.
Capt. Kim Apitong, spokesperson of 3ID, said one NPA rebel was killed in the skirmish. He identified the fatality as 62-year-old Celso Tribunalo with aliases "Larry," "Jimlo," and "Greg."
Tribunalo was the alleged squad leader of the Squad 2, Platoon 2, Southwest Front of NPA's Komiteng Rehiyon - Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS).
"Prior to the encounter, the troops of 15IB were conducting combat operations in Cauayan municipality and immediately responded to the tip-off of local populace on the presence of fully armed rebels in the community," Apitong said in his report to the AFP General Headquarters.
"The overwhelming force of the government troops made the enemies withdrew, leaving their dead comrade behind," he added.
The soldiers recovered an M4 rifle with magazines, ammunition, and personal belongings from the slain rebel.
Meanwhile, troops from the Philippine Army's 24th Division Reconnaissance Company under the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID) encountered around seven suspected NPA rebels while conducting security operations in Sito Angelo, Barangay Umiray, Gen. Nakar, Quezon last Monday.
The firefight left two rebels dead who have yet to be identified by the 2ID.
However, Baclor said the fatalities were members of the NPA's Platoon 1, Kilusang Larangang Gerilya Narciso which mainly operates in Negros provinces.
The operating troops also seized an M16 rifle, an M14 rifle, and one M203 grenade launcher at the encounter site.