An alleged communist leader and two of his followers were killed in a series of military assaults in Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat on Saturday, July 30.
The Western Mindanao Command WestMinCom) identified the fatalities as Ian Dela Rama alias “Cris;” Valerio Lacumbo with aliases “Bitoy,” “Bobit,” and “Delfin;” and Wilmer Dela Cruz with aliases “Dodong” and “Grab.”
According to the military, Dela Rama was the commanding officer of the New People’s Army – Regional Operations Command (ROC) of the Far South Mindanao Region (FSMR), as well as a former secretary of Guerilla Front 4A of the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCRMC). He has a standing warrant of arrest for arson.
On the other hand, Lacumbo was allegedly a part of the communist group’s bomb squad under the Ordnance Division of FSMR and has a standing warrant of arrest for robbery with violence against or intimidation of person, while Dela Cruz was said to be a member of the Dabu-Dabu Platoon, Sub-Regional Committee Daguma, FSMR.
A military report reaching Camp Aguinaldo said that elements of the 57th Infantry Battalion were conducting pursuit operations in Barangay Baluan when they encountered around seven armed men.
A firefight ensued which forced the enemies to retreat to different directions, said Lt. Gen. Alfredo Rosario. Jr., WestMinCom commander.
The troops then radioed for backup and augmentation forces set up blocking operations in all the possible escape routes of the enemies in the village. This resulted in a series of encounters with the fleeting rebels, Rosario said.
When the firefight stopped, troops conducted search and destroy operations where they recovered the bodies of three enemies.
They also found two M16A1 rifles, a Garand rifle, two caliber .45 pistols, a hand grenade, eleven cellular phones, and personal belongings of the communists.
Rosario directed the troops to intensify their focused military operations and maximize intelligence monitoring “to disallow the menaces of society to thrive in the peaceful communities.:
“Let us continue to work to dismantle all the remaining terrorist groups in our area of operation,” the military commander added.