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[av_heading heading=’Gov’t troops repel rebels from Maasin hinterland ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Tuesday, November 21, 2017
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ILOILO City – Philippine Army soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion clashed with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels yesterday in the hinterlands of Barangay Trangka, Maasin, Iloilo.
The men of Lieutenant Gilbert Facunla proceeded to the area after receiving information that armed men were extorting money from residents, said Brigadier General Pio Dinioso, commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade.
The encounter erupted around 12:20 p.m. It lasted for some 45 minutes.
Government troops believed they were able to hurt some of the rebels, citing drops of blood on the path the insurgents took as they fled.
The soldiers were also able to recover four backpacks of the rebels numbering between 30 to 40.
“We are thankful that the community immediately informed us about the presence of the rebels in their area,” said Dinioso.
On Nov. 12, armed men believed to be rebels fired at the detachment of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office’s 3rd Maneuver Platoon in Barangay Bolo, Maasin.
Bursts of gunfire were heard around 5:15 a.m. some 25 meters away from the detachment under Chief Inspector Ronnie Brillo, said Senior Inspector Feliz Alianza, Maasin police chief.
Brillo’s men returned fire, forcing at least four rebels to withdraw, said Alianza.
He considered the incident “only a harassment” but stressed, “We don’t want to be complacent.”
On June 18, rebels raided the police station of Maasin. The daring, broad daylight caper was swift. Within 15 minutes beginning around 10:30 a.m., the rebels shanghaied M16 rifles, Glock .9mm pistols, handheld radios and their base, laptops, mobile phones, and jewelry.
The rebels also used the police station’s patrol car to flee.
“Our men are on full alert status also because of the encounter between Philippine Army troops and rebels in Capiz. Three high-ranking rebels were killed,” said Alianza.
The Nov. 7 encounter was in Sitio Badiangon, Barangay Puti-an, Cuartero, Capiz.
Killed were Remy Beraye, a resident of Barangay Baldoza, La Paz, Iloilo City and former chairperson of the League of Filipino Students at West Visayas State University; Federico Diaz of Barangay Mahabang Sapa, Cuartero; and Allan Lerona of Mambusao, Capiz.
The Army claimed the three were leaders of the NPA’s Nonito Aguirre Sr. Command – Diaz as vice commanding officer, Lerona as finance and logistics officer, and Beraye as propagandist./PN
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