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TWO
encounters between the government and suspected members
of the New People’s Army (NPA) greeted President
Arroyo’s visit to Masbate on Tuesday.
A
soldier was killed in the incidents. The clashes
followed the explosion of a homemade bomb 11 hours
before the President met with local and national
government officials in a National Disaster Coordinating
Council meeting.
Capt.
Leah Santiago, spokesman for the Southern Luzon Command,
however, said the explosion and the series of encounters
have nothing to do with the presence of Arroyo in
Masbate, where communist rebels maintain a significant
presence.
Santiago
said that the blast was recorded at 2 a.m. at barangay
Ban-ao in Placer town. No one was injured and a joint
team of policemen and soldiers is still investigating
the incident.
“It’s an
improvised bomb planted in isolated place. There’s no
damage,” said Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Sodusta, commander of
the Army’s 9th Infantry Division that is based in
Camarines Sur.
Five
hours later, a band of rebels ambushed a platoon of
soldiers who hitched a ride on a civilian vehicle while
on their way to Cataingan town for antiinsurgency
operations.
Santiago
said the rebels fired at the troops in barangay Bagacay,
Mobo town at about 7 a.m. No casualties were reported.
Three
hours later, about 20 guerrillas attacked a convoy of
soldiers at barangay Villafuerte in Uson town, killing a
certain Sergeant Gonzales.
Meanwhile, communist guerrillas wounded three policemen
in a clash in Camarines Norte on Monday.
In a
report sent to Camp Crame, the Bicol police command
identified the wounded lawmen as Police Officers 1
Darius Barrios, Rodel Lasim and Bennie Palencia.
It said
that the encounter between members of the 31st Infantry
Brigade and the Police Regional Mobile Group and the
guerrillas took place after the rebels harassed El Dore
Mining Corp., which is located at sitio Nalisbitan,
barangay Dumagmang, Labo town.
During
the firefight, the soldiers called for air support. |
