NPA leader, 4 others held in N. Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, Philippines — A New People’s Army (NPA) leader and four of her comrades were arrested in Barangay Bangkerohan, Catarman, Northern Samar on Friday.

The arrest of Marieta Bartolo, secretary of an NPA unit operating in Northern Samar, is a big setback to the communist movement, Capt. Francisco Agno, 8th Infantry Division spokesman, said yesterday.

Agno said Bartolo is in charge of collecting so-called revolutionary tax and organizing political activities in Pambujan, San Roque, Silvino Lobos, Las Navas, Mondragon and Catarman towns.

Bartolo and her comrades were turned over to the police yesterday for the filing of criminal charges.

In Kalinga, a medical officer and recruiter of the NPA in Northern Luzon, surrendered to the 54th Infantry Battalion (IB) and Joint Task Force Tala on Saturday night.

The NPA medic also turned over an M14 rifle and is undergoing debriefing, Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, Northern Luzon Command information officer  said.

2 soldiers wounded in clash

In Abra and Mountain Province, two Army soldiers and an undetermined number of rebels were wounded in encounters with communist guerrillas also on Saturday.

The wounded soldiers were airlifted to nearby hospitals.

Nato said soldiers of the 81st IB clashed with NPA guerrillas in Sitio Dandanac, Barangay Tambo in Base, Mountain Province.

He said soldiers of the 24th IB,  who clashed with communist rebels in Barangay Danac, West Boliney, Abra, also recovered an abandoned NPA camp. 

Another encounter occurred in Barangay Ud-udiao, Sallapadan also in Abra at past 3 p.m. – Miriam Desacada, Michael Punongbayan, Ding Cervantes