Troops, rebels clash in Bukidnon on Valor Day

MALAYBALAY CITY – Troops belonging to the Army's 88th Infantry Battalion clashed with members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Quezon town, Bukidnon, on National Valor Day (Araw ng Kagitingan), the military said Wednesday.

The 15-minute encounter occurred around 12:55 p.m. Tuesday in a forested area of Barangay Santa Felomina, the 88IB said in a statement.

It added the NPA rebels were believed to be under the NPA’s Sub-Regional Command (SRC) 2, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC).

According to the military, the 88IB troops were conducting focused military operations in the area after residents tipped-off the authorities on the presence of communist guerillas.

The residents reportedly complained of the NPA's extortion activities, forcibly demanding the civilians to give food and other supplies to the rebel movement.

"These unlawful acts brought anxious feeling and fear for the residents in the area and their families," the 88IB said.

Lt. Col. Franklin Fabic, the newly-installed 88IB commanding officer, said the latest clash was a proof that the NPA was "desperate in trying to recover and restore their lost mass bases since their supporters have completely turned their backs on them."

The NPA's alleged extortion activities, Fabic said, "also showed that the NPAs are suffering from a shortage of food supplies brought about by cautious combat operations" of the military.

Fabic warned the rebel group that the military will continue to "hunt them down wherever they go".

"But for those who want to surrender, we are offering our hands to you. Return to the folds of law and the government has many programs for you to start a new life," he said.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)