Two Reds and two civilians killed in clash with government forces in Leyte

By Ronron
July 23, 2007

Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and two civilians were killed in a clash Sunday night in Leyte province, a military commander said yesterday (Monday).

Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion, said his men were pursuing some 10 suspected NPA rebels at a hut in Barangay Tinghub, Villaba town at around 10:10 pm the other day when fired upon by the insurgents.

The government troops were led by 2Lt. Marvin Caspillo, while the suspected rebels were allegedly led by a certain Geronimo Maceda, alias Maning, of the Nepal Squad, North Leyte Front of the NPA’s Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Dagoy said the clash lasted for 20 minutes, resulting in the death of two rebels – Feliciano Labrador, alias Peling, and a certain alias Jezrel.

Dagoy said Feliciano’s wife, Leonor, and 12-year-old son, Anthony, were also shot dead as they were caught in the crossfire.

There were no reported casualties on the government side.

Dagoy said the rest of the rebels escaped, leaving behind their fallen comrades, two M16 rifles, one M14 rifle, one rifle grenade, eight short firearms for M16, five magazines for M14, 11 caliber 45 ammunitions and various documents.

“I am confident that in the soonest possible time, Leyte will be free of communist terrorists as misery, isolation, and hunger are fast festering their organization in their veiled attempts to reorganize their demoralized forces,” Dagoy said in a statement.

The 7,100-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside in the last 38 years. Peace talks between the communist movement and the government bogged down in August 2004 due to the inclusion of the former in the terrorist list of foreign governments.

The government aims to crush the movement by 2010 when President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her term./DMS