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CAGAYAN DE ORO (MindaNews / 11 September) — Army troops encountered a band of 20 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on Sunday in Quezon, Bukidnon, triggering a four-hour firefight that resulted to the death of a soldier.
Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, 10th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the soldiers were pursuing the rebels when they caught up with them in Barangay Linabo, some 18 kilometers from Quezon town proper.
“The rebels were trying to link up with those from (NPA Guerilla) Front 57 when the soldiers encountered them. Unfortunately one soldier died in the encounter,” Tito said.
Citing reports from the Quezon police station, Major Joanne Navarro, Police Regional Office – 10 spokesperson, identified the dead soldier as Private First Class Randy Ganzon, 29, a member of the 39th Infantry Battalion based in Makilala, North Cotabato.
Navarro said the remains of Ganzon were brought to the Villanueva Funeral Homes in Maramag, Bukidnon.
Fort Cabarde, of the Quezon public information office, said at about noon Monday that they were still waiting for the barangay officials of Linabo to report about the incident. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)