Female rebel captured in Catanduanes clash

By Ronron
March 12, 2007

A female fighter of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) was captured following an encounter yesterday (Monday) noon against government troops in Catanduanes province.

Philippine Army spokesman Maj. Ernesto Torres, Jr. said the firefight happened at 11:30 am as operating elements of the 65th Infantry Battalion were conducting combat operation at Sitio San Isidro, Barangay Mayngaway, San Andres town.

He said the government troops clashed against 20 suspected members of the NPA, led by a certain alias Waren.

Firefight lasted for one hour, until the suspected rebels withdrew, Torres said.

Aside from apprehending the unidentified amazon, the government troops recovered from the fleeing rebels an M16 rifle, one carbine, some documents and personal belongings.

They also claim to have seen the escaping rebels carry more or less five of their wounded comrades.

There was no casualty on the government side, Torres said.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades now. Its mother organization, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army, backed out from the peace negotiations with the government in August 2004 after it was tagged as a terrorist by foreign governments.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has asked the Armed Forces of the Philippines to crush the insurgency movement by 2010 when she ends her term./DMS