A photo released by the Philippine Army shows the recovered items from the slain NPA rebel in Compostela Valley.
DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / June 3, 2013) – One communist rebel was killed in a clash Monday with government troops in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, officials said.
Officials said a soldier and pro-government militia were also wounded in the fighting that erupted in the village of Tubo-Tubo in Monkayo town. The fighting broke out after patrolling troops encountered a band of New People’s Army rebels.
Soldiers have recovered the body of the slain rebel and his M16 automatic rifle and a transceiver radio, including what officials said were subversive documents.
Lieutenant Colonel Cesar Molina, commander of the 25th Infantry Battalion, said the rebels were allegedly terrorizing and extorting money and food from villagers.
“They were conducting extortion activities and at the same time threatening the locals with violent reprisals if they will not join the rallies being organized and initiated by militant groups coming from Davao City that lately have targeted Compostela Valley in the conduct of anti-government rallies,” he said in a statement.
“The people are now fed up with the terror tactics and intimidation being initiated by the NPAs, most especially on the lawless groups’ actions of forcing them to join the rallies in Compostela Valley. The civilians have come to realize that the NPA propaganda of poverty as a root cause of insurgency is a big lie. In reality, it is the NPAs that are the cause of poverty as they continuously prevent the influx of development programs initiated by the local government units,” he said.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA about Molina’s allegations.
The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a communist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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