43 civilians held for questioning after AFP-NPA clash in Bulacan

By Ronron
May 5, 2005

Forty-three men were held by the military on Thursday for questioning after government troops clashed earlier in the day with communist terrorists in San Miguel town, Bulacan.

The 11 residents of Masalipit village and 32 others from barangay Sta. Ines, both in the municipality of San Miguel, were brought to Camp Tecson, headquarters of the Army Scout Ranger in San Miguel, to find out if among them were the suspected seven communist rebels that the military chanced upon and exchanged fires with at around 5:30 am yesterday in Barangay Masalipit.

“There were 43 men that were interviewed and held for a while by the Army for questioning and identification by local barangay officials whether they are members of the New People’s Army (NPA) or just civilians,” Lt. Col. Buenaventura Pascual, Public Information Officer (PIO) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), said.

They were later released to their respective barangay captains and escorted back to their homes.

Pascual clarified that the death of a certain Patricio Deloroso, 70, resident of barangay Sta. Ines, was not related to the military operation.

Quoting Sta. Ines barangay captain Benjamin Aquino, Pascual said Deloroso died of old age and was not among the 43 males invited.

The military spokesman said the rounding up was coordinated with barangay officials, stressing the military’s awareness on their rules of engagement.

With the permission and presence of barangay officials, elements of the Philippine Army’s 71st Infantry Battalion (IB) entered barangay Sta. Ines and checked some houses for the possible presence of NPA rebels.

The military suspected that the rebels with whom government troops clashed with earlier in the day in Barangay Masalipit sought refuge in neighboring Barangay Sta. Ines.

According to Pascual, operating troops from Alpha Company, 48th IB of the Philippine Army engaged in a five-minute firefight around seven fully armed rebels in Barangay Masalipit at 5:30 am yesterday.

It is believed to be the same NPA group that elements of the Army’s 56th IB encountered with last April 24, 2005 in the same town. Six rebels were killed and one soldier was wounded in that encounter.

Then at 6:10 am yesterday, reinforcing troops from the 1st Platoon of the 71st IB encountered around seven armed rebels in Barangay Sta. Ines, believed to be the same group from barangay Masalipit. Firefight lasted for 10 minutes, until the enemy scampered towards different directions.

The government troops recovered one fragmentation grenade, two caliber .38 revolver, personal belongings, assorted ammunitions and subversive document at the encounter site./DMS