By Gemi Formaran The army soldier who were wounded after being hit by bullets and a land mine planted by communist rebels. (Photo from Gemi ...
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| The army soldier who were wounded after being hit by bullets and a land mine planted by communist rebels. (Photo from Gemi Formaran) |
LUCENA CITY - Five militiamen died while three others including an Army soldier were wounded after they were hit by bullets and a land mine planted by communist rebels belonging to Bicol Regional Party Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines/ New People's Army (CPP/NPA) at Sitio Pag- asa, Brgy. Mapulot, near the boundaries of Tagkawayan, Quezon and Labo, Camarines Norte in Bicol region.
The five casualties were identified as militiamen Cesar Sales, Jeffrey San Antonio, Aljohn Rapa, Johnwell Perez, Jomari Guno, all residents of Tagkawayan, Quezon and members of Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) under 85th Infantry Battalion of the Army's 201st Infantry Brigade.
Those wounded were Corporal Marvijun Oller, Jr., Lauro De Guzman and Regie Macalintal, also from Tagkawayan town.
Reports reaching the office of Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte disclosed that the incident took place at 7:22 a.m. while the government forces led by Oller were conducting combat patrol at the said village when they suddenly encountered the rebels using a land mine and long firearms that resulted into a 30-minute firefight before the rebels finally withdrew with their wounded comrades
Quoting reports, Monte said the rebels were Bicolano- speaking and all wearing red bandana and black kamison, a typical clothing commonly used by the Bicol- based rebels.
Upon learning of the incident, Monte said he quickly beefed-up the security forces in the area with the deployment of Regional Mobile Force Battalion and 2nd Quezon Provincial Mobile Force Company to support the 85th IB troops.
Monte said a joint PNP-AFP Intensified Checkpoint Operations is on-going in coordination with COMELEC, while coordination with nearby hospitals and clinics has been made to check for wounded communist rebels.
Bicol region eversince is known as among the bailiwicks of CPP/ NPA.
In the fast decades, numerous ambushcades and raids carried out by communist rebels against government forces in Southern part of Quezon were augmented by Bicol- based rebels coming from the boundaries.
Quezon has several boundaries in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Masbate which gives oppurtunity to the Bicolano NPA rebels to send augmentation to their comrades in Southern Quezon towns when need arises.
It can be recalled that Quezon was declared insurgency- free province last June 12 coinciding with the 125th Philippine Independence Day celebration as Quezon Governor Angelina "Helen" Tan led the province-wide declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS).
Following the joint efforts exerted by the military, the police, the local government units, national governemnt agencies and civic groups, the province thirty nine municipalities and two cities have already been declared insurgency- free one after the other.
The MOU signatories were Governor Tan who is also the chairperson of Provincial and Regional Peace and Order Council and PTF- ELCAC, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan headed by Vice- Governor Anacleto Alcala III, Quezon Mayor's League president Rachel Ubana, Vice- Mayor's League president Lord Arnel Ruanto, Association of Barangay Captains president Ireneo Boongaling, Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Irish Armando, business sector representative, Quezon Represntatives Reynante Arrogancia, Keith Micah “Atorni Mike” Tan and Mark Enverga represented by Zaldy Gariguez, Area Police Command head Lt. Gen. Rhoderick Armamento, Calabarzon police deputy director for Administration Brig. Gen. Gregori Bogñalbal, Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte, 1st Quezon Provincial Mobile Force commander Major Rodelio Calawit, 2nd Quezon Provincial Mobile Force commander Major Romar Pacis, and the 41 police stations chiefs, Southern Luzon Command chief, Lt. Gen. Efren Baluyot, 2nd Infantry Division commander Maj. Gen. Efren Baluyot, 201st Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Erwin Alea, 202nd Infantry Brigade commander Brig. Gen. Cerilo Balaoro, Jr., 1st Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Danilo Escandor, 59th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Ernest Teneza, and 85th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Joel Jonson, DILG provincial director Darrel Dizon, Bureau of Fire Protection provincial director FSupt. Rowena Gollod and CDA- Quezon head Rannie Linggahan.
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