Army captures NPA camp near Batangas City

MANILA, Philippines — Government troops captured a suspected training camp of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels near Batangas city following last Sunday’s fighting that left one insurgent dead and scores wounded.

Maj. Gen. Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Brigade, said troops are pursuing the NPA rebels that occupied the camp.

Parayno said the security situation in Barangay Talumpok and the villages nearby where the camp is located has normalized since Tuesday.

At the height of the fighting that resulted in the evacuation of residents and the disruption of classes, the military deployed a helicopter to provide close air support to the troops.

Parayno said all the rockets fired by the helicopter hit their targets, contrary to claims that some of them hit residential houses.

“There’s no truth to that. It’s all propaganda by the left,” he said.

Col. Arnulfo Burgos, commander of the Army’s 202nd Brigade, said military and police checkpoints as well as seaborne patrols by the Philippine Coast Guard are now pursuing the NPA rebels.

Government troops encountered more than 30 NPA rebels in Barangay Talumpok on Sunday, with the fighting lasting until Monday.

Troops were initially dispatched to the area to validate reports of heavily armed men in the area.

The military identified the slain rebel as John Ryan Makatigbak.

Aside from one body, the troops seized two M16 assault rifles, a bandolier, printer, 26 kilos of rice, portable generator, a red bag containing three magazines for M16s and 10 pieces ammunition for M203 grenade launcher at the site.

“The training camp has a stock room, training ground, mess hall, 12 tents and subversive documents,” Burgos said.

He said the camp had more than 30 NPA recruits as well as their trainers led by a certain Mario Macaraeg, alias Ka Jethro.

The military said Macaraeg is the NPA’s Secretary of Guerrilla Front Honda of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee.

Burgos belied reports by cause-oriented groups that soldiers have been harassing civilians in the area.

“That’s not true. Our troops are in the area to protect the civilians from these lawless elements and not to harm them,” he said. – With Elizabeth Marcelo