14 killed in AFP troops vs. NPA rebels fighting
text HADER GLANG

At least 10 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels and four government soldiers were killed during fighting at a remote village in Davao del Norte, Southern Mindanao, a belated report reaching the Armed Forces Southern Command headquarters said.

Officials said troops from the Alpha Company of the Philippine Army’s 60th Infantry Battalion intercepted more or less 30 fully armed Maoist rebels at Purok 1, Barangay Maniki, Kapalong town, triggering a 30-minute firefight, on Wednesday afternoon.

Communist rebels led by Verino Antolihao alias Commander Isko/Jopay, said to be secretary of the NPA’s Front Committee 35th, were reportedly had the intention of sowing terror in the Municipality of Kapalong during the celebration of town fiesta on that day.

But government troops foiled the plot after some concerned citizens of the neighboring place who monitored the rebels’ plan had reported to the nearest military detachment in the area, said Capt. Jose Ritche Pabilonia, Southcom information chief.

“This made the government troops to be alerted and put-up a checkpoint to intercept the approaching NPA who, during that time where on board two (2) civilian vehicles,” Pabilonia told Zamboanga Southwall.

The rebels tried to withdraw towards Barangay Kamuning, Asuncion of the same town, but they were blocked by troops at vicinity of the boundary between Kapalong and Asuncion of Davao del Norte.

Although some of the NPA's comrades were able to bring some of their fallen and critically wounded comrades, they failed to bring the dead body of their leader identified as Verino Antolihao alias Isko/Jopay, Pabilonia said.

Four M16 and two M14 US rifles of the NPA's fallen and critically wounded comrades were also left at the encounter site and recovered by government troopers. Four government troops were reportedly killed in action and two others were slightly wounded.

Military withheld the names of the fallen and wounded soldiers pending the notification of their respective families.

Major General Cardozo Luna, 4th Infantry Division chief, directed troops to continue the pursuit operation to track down and possibly corner the fleeing rebels. He also ordered troops to intensify operations in the area to identify possible NPA hideout.

“The Maoist rebels are now becoming Lily-Livered.They are afraid to fight head on with the government troops. Everytime they encountered the troopers they are tailing their firearms and scampered to withdraw in different directions,” he said.

NPA rebels have stepped up attacks against various government, military and police targets since they withdrew from peace talks in August 2004. They have been fighting the Philippine government since the late 1960s to replace it with a communist state. Thousands of people have died in the fighting. (ZS)