A RANKING New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash with government forces in the hinterlands of Bukidnon province, a military official said Saturday, February 29.
Lieutenant Colonel Oscar Partuza, Army’s 3rd Infantry Battalion commander, identified the slain ranking NPA rebels as Eduardo Arnado alias Ka Choi, the deputy secretary of Guerrilla Front 53 (GF-53) and concurrent head extortionist of NPA groups in North Cotabato, Northern part of Davao Del Sur and Southern Bukidnon.
Partuza said the clash which lasted for about 10 minutes happened Friday afternoon at Sitio Lamparuc in Sampagar Village, Damulog, Bukidnon.
He said the clash ensued when the troops of the Army’s 3rd and 19th Infantry Battalions were conducting security operations after they received a report about the presence of the NPA rebels an Sitio Lamparuc, Sampagar village.
He said the NPA rebels scampered to different directions as they failed to withstand against the government forces, leaving behind the remains of Arnado.
The troops recovered from the clash site a caliber .45 pistol with magazine and ammunition, spent shells from various high powered firearms, subversive documents and personal belongings left by the fleeing NPA rebels, the army official said.
He added that Damulog Mayor Melino Buro conducted site assessment to check the wellbeing of the residents in Sitio Lamparuc, Sampagar. (SunStar Zamboanga)