NPA leader, 2 others slain in Rizal clash

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna, Philippines —  A commander of the New People’s Army and two other NPA guerrillas were killed in a gunfight with police and military personnel serving a warrant of arrest in Antipolo City, Rizal yesterday.

Two of the fatalities were identified as Armando Lazarte, alias Pat Romano, secretary of the Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee, and an alias Bisaya. They died while being treated at the Amang Rodriguez Memorial Medical Center in Marikina City.

Maj. Gen. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr., 2nd Infantry Division commander, said Lazarte, who had pending  warrants for murder and frustrated murder, led the burning of equipment being used for the Kaliwa Dam project in Infanta, Quezon early this year. The rebel leader was also tagged in gun attacks on police officers in Rizal last year.

Authorities said an M16 rifle, a 9mm, a caliber .45 pistol, two hand grenades, laptops, cell phones and subversive documents were recovered from the fatalities.

Meanwhile, in Surigao del Sur, suspected NPA guerrillas killed two militiamen in an ambush in Barangay Calatngan, San Miguel on Wednesday.