CAMP GENERAL MATEO CAPINPIN, Tanay, Rizal – Troops of the 1st Infantry Battalion (1IB) clashed shortly before noon on Monday with members of the New People’s Army (NPA) communist terrorist group in Sitio Coloconto, Barangay Bulsa in San Juan, Batangas.
Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan S. Manio, Commanding Officer of the 1st Infantry Battalion, said government troops were conducting combat operations following reports from concerned citizens that a group of NPA terrorists would conduct harassment on the Bulsa detachment.
While scouring the area, the troops traced the enemies’ temporary encampment, with more or less 15 NPA rebels under alias ‘Salma’ of Sub-Regional Military Area (SRMA) 4C, Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRPC).
This led to nearly an hour of firefight between the government troops and the communist terrorist rebels around 11:20 a.m. Monday. No one was hurt from the government side.
The military troops also recovered a M16 rifle, six backpacks, one commercial radio, one bandoleer, six magazines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) at the encounter site.
According to the 1IB troops, the rebels brought along their wounded comrades as they fled the area.
Major General Rhoderick M. Parayno, Commander of the 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division (2ID), Philippine Army, lauded the efforts of the troops.
He said that the combat operations made by the troops have preempted the NPA attacks to the military detachment.
“Our troops on the ground are on track and on guard against all NPA threats. We will pursue them until they are decimated,” vowed Parayno.
As of press time, the government troops are continuing their massive pursuit operations against the terrorist insurgents and expanded check points in the area. (Robert A. Maico/PNA)
