Three suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) died in an early morning firefight with government troops in the mountains of Pange village, Jaro, Leyte, on Monday, November 17, according to the Philippine Army.
Brigadier General Pompeyo Jason Almagro, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, said the fatalities included a squad leader and two members of the group’s medical unit.
He claimed that the encounter further weakens one of the NPA’s remaining units in Leyte, which he described as “already weakened” and “struggling to recruit.”
Almagro said that the soldiers from the 93rd Infantry Battalion launched a focused operation shortly after 6 am following reports that armed men were extorting farmers and charcoal makers in the area.
As the troops approached a temporary encampment, the six armed men “opened fire,” prompting soldiers to return fire, he said.
Troops recovered two caliber .45 pistols at the scene and continue to search the forested area for firearms believed to have been abandoned by fleeing rebels.
The Army identified the slain fighters as members of Squad 2 of the NPA Island Committee Levox under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.
Almagro said only three members of the squad remain and that another NPA unit with around 12 fighters is believed to be hiding in the mountains of Southern Leyte.
He added the encounter reflects the “shrinking presence” of communist armed groups across the brigade’s area of responsibility, which includes Leyte, Biliran, and the southern parts of Samar and Eastern Samar.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.