A leader of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed while a soldier was wounded in an encounter in Barangay Allaguia, Pinukpuk, Kalinga on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 23.
Lt. Col. Melvin Asuncion, officer–in–charge of the Division Public Affairs Office of the 5th Infantry Division, identified the slain rebel as Vicente or Changli, vice team leader of the Platoon Dos of the ICRC operating in the area and a native of the Cordillera region.
Asuncion said that Vicente’s body has been retrieved from the encounter site and they are reaching out to his family for burial.
The wounded soldier, identified as Private First Class Lhemar Guimpatan of the Reconnaissance Company, is in stable condition.
No civilians were involved during the crossfire.
Soldiers first engaged communist rebels in the area on Nov. 21 following reports from residents about the presence of more or less 15 fully armed NPA rebels.
Recovered from the encounter site were an M4 rifle, three high-powered guns, a chopped firearm, a grenade, backpacks and a cellphone.
Major Gen. Gulliver Señires, commander of the 5th ID, called on the remaining NPA rebels in the area to surrender for the sake of peace and development.