A five-minute encounter with the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) led to the death of two regular members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Sitio Pagas, Barangay Ayabang in Leon town, Iloilo province on Saturday. Lt. Col. Arturo Balgos Jr., 61IB commander, said in an interview on Sunday that the fatalities were identified as ‘alias Blue,’ a squad team leader, and ‘alias Hope’ of the Front Taxation Implementing Group of the CPP-NPA’s Southern Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon Panay. The clash happened after government troops responded to a tip from residents about their presence in the area. Balgos said they reached out to the families of Hope and Blue with the help of local government unit officials of Miagao and Igbaras, respectively. The 61IB also provided financial assistance to their families, but Balgos did not disclose the amount. ‘The encounter site is a forested area, a boundary of Barangay Tagsing and Ayabang. The civilians informed us because they don’t want the presence of the armed group in the area,’ he said. Recovered from the site of the encounter were one M16 rifle, two shotguns, one caliber .45 pistol, war materiel and extortion letters. Balgos expressed his condolences to the bereaved families as he called on their remaining members to give up and return to the government. Maj. Gen. Marion R. Sison, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, also urged the remaining members of the local terrorist group to ‘give peace a chance and give up the senseless armed struggles.’ ‘The government is very much ready to accept you to the mainstream society. Programs of the government await you for your new beginning and for a normal life together with your family,’ Sison said in a press statement released Saturday.
Source: Philippines News Agency
