AFP Kills Five Communist insurgents in Northern Luzon

     On my last posting I reported that the Armed Forces of the Philippine's commander swore: "My target is to declare the entire country peaceful and ready for development before my retirement."    If he keeps killing insurgents at this current rate he will still  have 3995 cadre to eliminate before he gets the gold watch from the government. (There are about 4,000 plus NPA rebels in the country, based on latest military estimates. The figure has not changed significantly in the last few years despite the military's claims that insurgency in the country is already weakening).

On 4 Sept 2014 five Communist rebels were killed in a clash with Army troops in Lacub, Abra. This encounter on Luzon was relatively rare-- since most violent clashes have been mostly in the south of the country.

 

Maj. Calixto Cadano Jr., spokesman of the Army's 5th division, said the firefight started when members of the 41st battalion chanced upon the rebels in Barangay Guinguinabang Thursday morning.The gun battle resulted in the death of five New People's Army (NPA) members and the recovery of eight high-powered firearms. Cadano said there were no casualties on the side of the Army troops. Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, chief of the Armed Forces 1st Civil Relations Group, said among the NPA members who were killed was Arnold Jaramillo, secretary of the rebels’ local political committee. 

 

Google imagery shows that the area where the encounter occurred is mountainous and remote.

 

Lt. Col. Virgilio Noora, chief of the 41st Infantry Battalion, said NPA members had been collecting money and food from locals before the encounter took place.  "The barangay folks said that the NPA (rebels) who are extorting from them are not from Abra but from other areas that's why the people are distrustful of them," Noora said in a statement.

There are about 4,000 NPA rebels in the country, based on latest military estimates. The figure has not changed significantly in the last few years despite the military's claims that insurgency in the country is already weakening.