Seven suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels died in an armed encounter with government forces in Bobon, Northern Samar on Sunday, April 30, the military said.
 

(File photo via Manila Bulletin)

Elements of the Philippine Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade, 8^th Infantry Division (8ID) were conducting joint focused operations with the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the hinterlands of Barangay Santander when they encountered around 40 armed men.

The armed men are believed to be members of the NPA Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit (SRGU) and remnants of the dismantled Front Committee-2 (FC-2), Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC), according to Captain Jefferson Mariano, chief of the 8ID public affairs office. 

The armed men, Mariano said, were led by a certain Mario Sevillano alias Durok. 

“The joint operation was conducted following the information given by concerned civilians that a group of armed men were seen passing thru the outskirts of said barangay,” Mariano said.

The 8ID then deployed troops and coordinated with the police to track the armed men but a gunfight suddenly erupted when the two parties met.

Mariano said the area was a “terrorist hideout” which was “heavily fortified and surrounded by prohibited anti-personnel mines (APMs).” This prompted the troops to call for close air and artillery support.

After the initial firefight and the enemies withdrew, Mariano said the troops found the cadavers of the seven suspected rebels during clearing operations. The names of the casualties have yet to be disclosed by the military.

The troops also recovered an R4 rifle, two M16 rifles, one AK47 rifle, one anti-personnel mine, and several “subversive” documents. 

“Clearing efforts is still ongoing as of this reporting and troops on the ground [have] seen heavy bloodstain along their route of withdrawal which indicates that the CNTs [communist NPA terrorists] suffered heavy casualty,” Mariano said.

According to Mariano,  the NPA SRGU and FC-2, SRC Emporium of EVRPC are “notorious for numerous atrocities” in Northern Samar, tagging them as the perpetrators behind several ambuscades, extortions, and killings in the province.

“One of which is the attack of two unarmed CAFGU Active Auxillary (CAA) in San Isidro, Northern Samar last August 2021. Likewise, multiple warrants of arrest for murder and attempted murder was filed for their inhumane activities,” he said.

Two CAA identified as Lito Dauba, 39, and Arcito Reyes, 46, were killed by suspected NPA rebels in San Isidro, Northern Samar on Aug. 21, 2021. 

The unarmed militiamen were shot at close range while they were on their way to join a development social work for the villagers.