Two communist rebels killed, two others captured in Misamis Oriental clash with military

By Ronron
March 1, 2007

Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed, while two others were captured after an encounter with government troops early Thursday morning the northern Mindanao province of Misamis Oriental, the military said.

Maj. Samuel Sagun, public information officer of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City, said the clash took place at around 5:30 am yesterday at Sitio Nabugo, Barangay Mosangot, Binuangan town.

Sagun said operatives of the 8th Infantry Battalion responded to reports about the rebels’ presence in the area for the past three days, thus the encounter.

The firefight lasted for 45 minutes, resulting in the death of Loloy Saraos, alias Queen/King, the Vice Commander of the Section Committee 1, Front Committee 4B of the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, and an unidentified one.

The two others apprehended were identified as Lenlen Cabusog, alias Jinky, and Anabel Mansequaio, alias Aira/Tiray, both females.

Cabusog sustained a gunshot wound in the encounter and was brought to Northern Mindanao Medical Center, while Mansequiao, who is identified as the medical officer of the group, was subjected to debriefing.

“The (government) troops recovered from the scene of the encounter two hand grenades, explosive materials, subversive documents, medical paraphernalia, mats, back packs, and personal belongings,” said Sagun.

Local residents at the encounter site told military operatives that the suspected rebels came from the nearby town of Salay to evade government troops scouring the area, Sagun said.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla war in the countryside in the last 38 years. Peace talks between the NPA and the government bogged down in August 2004 after the former was tagged as a terrorist organization by foreign governments, including the United States and the European Union.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to end the insurgency problem by 2010 when her term ends./DMS