Heavily-armed rebel gunned down in Masbate shootout
A GUNBATTLE between patrolling policemen and heavily-armed New People’s Army guerrillas in Uson, Masbate on Monday left one rebel dead, Police Regional Office 5 director, Brigadier General Jonnel C. Estomo said.
In a report to Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, General Guillermo Lorenzo T. Eleazar, Estomo said the body of the still unidentified gunman was found in Sitio Tambangan, Barangay Dapdap, Uson shortly after the 8:30 a.m. encounter.
The slain suspect had an ammunition bandolier strapped to his body and an M-16 automatic rifle when found by members of the Masbate Police Provincial Office led by Lieutenant Colonel Paul Cabug, the PRO5 director said.
Estomo said members of the Masbate PPO’s 1st and 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, the Provincial Intelligence Unit and the Uson Municipal Police Station under the supervision of Col. Joriz Cantoria were checking the reported presence of NPA rebels in Purok 3 in Bgy. Dapdap around 3:30 a.m. Monday when they encountered the gunmen.
The guerrillas fled the scene where Estomo’s men recovered an M-16 rifle with a defaced serial number and a magazine with 15 live ammunition, assorted personal belongings, suspected rebel documents and other war materials including an improvised explosive device.
Estomo said a hot pursuit operation led to a 2nd encounter with the NPA members in Sitio Tambangan five hours later where the still unidentified rebel was killed.
He said the guerrillas were believed to be members of the CPP/NPA’s Southern Masbate Provincial Committee led by Rogelio Suson alias ‘Ka Manong’ and were also the suspects in the killing of FEU and national football player Kieth Absalon and his cousin in Masbate City last June 6.
“We suspect that the rebels we encountered were spying on PNP and Army stations and other facilities in Sorsogon for another planned attack when they were encountered by my men on Monday,” said Estomo.
