ILIGAN CITY -- Some 30 suspected communist rebels launched yet another attack on Sunday, November 12, leaving a soldier dead and another wounded in Barangay Rogongon, Iligan City.
The lone fatality was identified as Technical Sergeant Edgar Andal of the Army’s 4th Mechanized Infantry Battalion (4th Mech) while wounded soldier, also of 4th Mech, was identified as Corporal Raymart Pamplona.
An Army official said Andal and Pamplona were performing a routine check of the road network in the area to see if the roads were passabl.
Colonel Alex Aduca, 4th Mech commander, Andal and Pamplona were on board a motorcycle and were between Sitio Dunggoan and Sitio Kalamalamahan, Barangay Rogongon when they saw a checkpoint.
Aduca said, Andal and Pamplona became aware that the checkpoint was not being manned by policemen or soldiers prompting them to turn back.
Aduca said the two soldiers were fired upon as they tried to speed away.
Pamplona, although wounded, was able to drive back to their patrol base leaving lifeless Andal who had fallen from the motorcycle.
Members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) and Barangay Intelligence Network (BIN) helped retrieved Andal's remains, Aduca said.
Aduca said the armed men were members of the New People’s Army’s (NPA’s) Guerilla Front 68.
He said the group has been operating for sometime now at the boundaries of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon, including Rogongon, a boudary of Iligan City, Lanao del Norte.
The group is said to be occupying a community called Malagsom in Sitio Libandayan, Rogongon, an area formerly occupied by the workers of a construction firm that worked on the road projects of the government, Aduca said.
Also on Sunday, November 12, NPA rebels belonging to the Guerilla Front 4B engaged the military in a 20-minute gun battle in Barangay Banglay, Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental.
Lieutenant Jesson Solayao, civic military officer of the 58th Infantry Battalion, said the troops were verifying reports that the rebels would be sabotaging a power plant in Balingasag town.
No casualties were reported from the 20 minute firefight. .
Last November 9, the communists also ambushed a policemen from Bumbaran, Lanao del Sur were ambushed in Talakag, Bukidnon, leaving a policeman dead and a 4 month-old baby dead.
The following day, police personnel from the Talakag PNP who were conducting an investigation on the ambush site were met fired upon by suspected rebels when they headed back to the municipal police station.
The NPA has issued a statement to express their condolences to the family of the dead baby girl.
"This is a painful occurrence which was unforeseen. We are currently finding means to connect with the relatives and friends of the aggrieved in an offer to indemnify the said incident," NPA said. (With Alwen Saliring)