GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 29 April) – Two suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed while two others were arrested in a joint Army and police operation dawn on Wednesday in an outskirt village in Lake Sebu town, South Cotabato province.
Lt. Col. Lino Capellan, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-12, said the two still unidentified rebels were slain in an encounter past 5 a.m. at an alleged NPA base in Sitio Lambila, Barangay Lamfugon in Lake Sebu.
He said elements from PRO-12 units and the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (IB) launched the internal security and law enforcement operation following reports on the presence of NPA rebels in the area.
The raid led to the capture of two suspected women combatants identified as Mylene Dalaguman Pasandalan alias “Sasay” and Marina Limboy Andal.
Capellan said Pasandalan, who reportedly served as a medic, was the wife of a local NPA commander identified as Patrick Co of Platoon Primera, Guerilla Front Musa-Far South Mindanao Region.
Marina was listed as the wife of NPA member Naldo Andal alias “Pungol.”
“The site was reportedly the main camp of Platoon Primera,” Capellan said in a report.
Recovered from the suspects were a caliber .45 pistol with five live bullets, a Myphone cellphone, a Samsung cellphone battery, a pair of old Army camouflage pants, four kilos of rice placed in a backpack, a “boga” or “jolen” gun with denatured alcohol, two mini solar panels, two bolos and other assorted personal belongings.
During the raid, Capellan said a group of suspected NPA rebels believed led by Patrick Co and positioned near the site suddenly opened fire at the operating team.
He said the rebels engaged the operatives in a five-minute firefight before hastily fleeing from the scene.
The team found at the encounter site two dead bodies of suspected NPA combatants, two M16 Armalite rifles and two bullet bandoliers with magazines.
Capellan said joint elements from the 27IB and two sections from the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force have launched pursuit operations against the rebels.
He said the captured rebels, along with their three minor children, are currently in the custody of the Lake Sebu municipal police station. (MindaNews)