MANILA, Philippines — Three soldiers were killed and two others were wounded in an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Mountain Province on Sunday.
The identities of the slain soldiers were witheld pending notification of their respective families.
Lt. Col. Isagani Nato, Northern Luzon Command information officer, said the clash, which occurred in Sitio Dandanac, Barangay Tamboan, Besao at around 2:50 p.m., lasted for more than three hours.
Nato said the encounter also left an undetermined number of casualties on the side of the rebels.
He said the rebels took an M203 grenade launcher, two rifles and a K3 squad automatic weapon from government troopers as they retreated.
On Saturday, two soldiers were wounded in an encounter with NPA rebels in Sitio Dandanao also in Barangay Tamboan.
In Agusan del Norte, S/Sgt. Sahari Jamjahare and Roberto Salaygay of the Citizens Armed Force Geographical Unit were riding a habal-habal when they were waylaid by suspected communist guerrillas in Barangay Camagong, Nasipit at past 5 p.m. also on Sunday. They were pronounced dead on arrival at the Nasipit District Hospital.
The habal-habal driver, Erwin Mandahinog, 27, was critically wounded and remains comfined in the same hospital.
In Surigao del Norte, residents discovered on Sunday a decomposing body identified as Romel Tac-an, vice commander of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 16, in Barangay Lahi, Gigaquit town.
First Lt. Tere Ingente, 4th Infantry Division information officer, said Tac-an could be among the casualties in the encounter with soldiers in Gigaquit last July 10. – Ding Cervantes, Ben Serrano, Artemio Dumlao