Troops, rebels clash in Albay

MEMBERS of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) were caught by security forces while campaigning for their political bets in the hinterlands of Albay.

Major Harold Cabunoc, 9th Infantry Division spokesman, said a nine-man squad of soldiers who were sent on a security patrol in a remote village of Oas, Albay clashed with more or less 10 communist terrorists in Barangay Rosario of the municipality around 4:30 a.m. Monday.

Firefight lasted for about five minutes after which the terrorist rebels escaped towards the forested area of the barangay, leaving behind one of their comrade who surrendered with his firearm.

Lieutenant Colonel John Oberio, commander of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, said the encounter resulted to the capture of one of the rebels identified as a certain Renante Mortel and the recovery of a Cal 5.56mm M16A1 Rifle and an MK2 hand grenade.

The soldiers also confiscated 50 pieces of PTC cards and hundreds of sample ballots containing the names of Satur Ocampo and Liza Maza as well as their supported party-list Bayan Muna.

“We received a ‘hot info’ from a barangay official that some heavily-armed rebels were campaigning in his village. I immediately sent my soldiers to check the enemy presence,” said Oberio.

“My soldiers confiscated sample ballots containing the names of senatorial candidates Ocampo and Masa and their party list group Bayan Muna. They are really aggressively supporting the candidacy of their own bets,” he added.

The terrorist rebels are actively campaigning for their political bets in remote areas of the barangay.

The field units of the 9th Infantry Division are consistently receiving reports about armed rebels who are campaigning for their own local and national bets.

Mortel is now brought to the 2nd Infantry Battalion camp for tactical interrogation.

Oberio said Mortel will be turned over to the Oas Municipal Police Station for filing of criminal cases.

The CPP-NPA-NDF has admitted to the permit to campaign or permit to win collection of their members in the Bicol Region. Their admission came after the discovery of over six hundred PTC cards during an encounter with NPA extortionists in Caramoran, Catanduanes on February 19, 2010.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, commander of the 9th Infantry Division, has directed all Army forces in the Bicol Region to intensify their security patrols to ensure the conduct of honest and peaceful elections. (VR/Sunnex)