5 NPA rebels killed in Rizal clash

MANILA, Philippines — Five suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an alleged shootout with police officers in Baras, Rizal yesterday.

Two of the fatalities were identified only as Sandra and a certain Onli, said to be medical and intelligence staff, respectively, of the NPA’s sub-regional military area 4-A.

The still unidentified fatalities allegedly belonged to an NPA unit involved in extortion.

Rizal police director Col. Joseph Arguelles said the law enforcers were about to serve an arrest warrant for a certain Dads, finance officer of the NPA’s sub regional military area 4-A, at his hideout in Barangay San Juan at around 2:30 a.m. when the shootout occurred.

The Quezon Regional Trial Court Branch 65 in Infanta issued the warrant for frustated murder.

Dads and his companions opened fire, Arguelles said in a text message.

The suspect managed to escape during the exchange of gunfire.

Two M16 rifles, a .45-caliber pistol, a .38-caliber revolver, a submachine gun, electronic devices and documents were recovered from the fatalities.

Maj. Gen. Greg Almerol, 2nd Infantry Division commander, said the incident should serve as a warning to rebels that the military is committed to ending communist insurgency in the country.

“These deaths will further push the rebels to rethink their violent ideologies, thereby fasttracking our efforts to defeat the insurgency and liberate our people from the clutches of terrorism,” Almerol said.