Two rebels, two soldiers killed in Samar clash

By Ronron
April 23, 2007

Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and two government soldiers were killed in an encounter last Saturday in Samar province, a military spokesman said Monday.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres, Jr., Public Information Officer of the Philippine Army, said members of the 52nd Cadre Battalion responded to reports about the presence of the NPA hit squad at Barangay Tominamos in Sta. Rita town when they encountered four unidentified suspicious looking men in the area.

The clash erupted at around 7pm, lasting briefly for two minutes.

The slain soldiers were identified as T/Sgt. Roperto Jandoquille, Jr. and paramilitary personnel Felizardo Eguia of the 10th Western Samar CAA (CAFGU Active Auxiliary) Detachment, while the two killed rebels have yet to be identified.

The rebels were believed to be members of the Sparu squad of the NPA.

Recovered from the fallen rebels were two caliber 45 pistols with four magazines and 19 live ammunition.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for more than 38 years now. The government hopes to crush the movement by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term.

Peace talks with the communists bogged down in August 2004 following the tagging of the group as terrorist by foreign governments like the United States and the European Union./DMS