TACLOBAN CITY – Two New People's Army (NPA) rebels were killed and three others were apprehended in an encounter in San Isidro, Northern Samar on Friday, Nov. 18.
Troops under the Army 803rd Brigade were conducting a focused military operation in the vicinity of Kilometer 9, Barangay Happy Valley when they encountered an undetermined number of communist guerrillas at around 12:30 p.m.
A 15-minute gunfight ensued after which troops also recovered several war materials and subversive documents.
Government troops went on patrol after receiving a report about an armed group extorting and terrorizing the people in the area.
"It is believed that these Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) are the merged group of Front Committee 2 and Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit of Sub-Regional Committee ‘Emporium’ of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee who are frequently monitored extorting money and food supplies from the people in the area," the Army said.
Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo, 803rd Brigade commander, urged the NPA leadership in the area to turn over their wounded comrades for immediate medical treatment. He thanked the community for informing them of the presence of the NPA.
Peñaredondo encouraged remaining members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA to lay down their arms, go back to their families, and start a new productive life by availing of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and the Northern Samar Local Social Integration Program (LSIP).