5 NPA rebs killed in Bohol clash
FIGHTING erupted between patrolling Army soldiers and a band of heavily-armed New People’s Army guerrillas in Bilar, Bohol early morning Tuesday leaving at least five rebels dead, a Police Regional Office 7 report said.
A member of the Charlie Company of the Army’s 47th Infantry Battalion identified as Private First Class Tranquilino Francisco was also wounded during the gunbattle in Sitio Barracks in Barangay Cabacnitan in Bilar municipality 5:45 a.m. Tuesday, said PRO7 director, Brigadier General Ronnie S. Montejo.
The official said that one civilian identified as Linda Dequiña was also hurt during the clash and was brought to a local hospital for treatment.
The slain suspects were identified as Romeo Nabas alias’ Ka Marlon/Ponso/Rico,’ tagged as the vice commanding officer and a political instructor of the NPA’s Bohol Provincial Party Committee’s Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda; Joseph Bautista alias ‘Ka Bryan,’ said to be a logistics officer of the unit; Marvin Tereg alias ‘Ka Cris,’ described as a regular squad member of the band Edionilla Nuera alias ‘Ka Marra,’ also a regular member of the same NPA band; and one ‘Ka Bucar.’
Nabas and Bautista were included in the Periodic Status Report of CPP/NPA personalities in Central Visayas, the official said.
Recovered from the possession of the slain men were two Elisco M-16 automatic rifles with three loaded magazines, three caliber .45 pistols with nine live ammunition, one deformed M-16 magazine, three AK-47 magazines, 191 5.56 cartridges, two bandoliers, two holsters, a pair of handcuffs and several personal belongings and suspected NPA documents.
Montejo said that members of the Bohol Provincial Police Office’s EOD/K-9 Unit also discovered a misfired 40mm grenade at the scene of the encounter.
Following the clash, the Bilar Municipal Police Station and other nearby police units conducted checkpoints and road blockades to intercept the fleeing gunmen.
The bodies of the slain suspects were taken to a local funeral parlor for autopsy, Montejo said.
