Alleged female NPA member killed in Oriental Mindoro

June 5, 2020

An alleged female member of New People's Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with government troops in Oriental Mindoro on Thursday.

Capt. Jayrald Ternio,  public affairs chief of the 2nd Infantry Division, said slain was Lorelyn Saligumba alias Fara, "the political instructor of  KLG ICM’s Platoon Dos and a member of 'Morong 43' whom left-leaning organisations branded as 'plain health workers' when they were apprehended in 2010."

He said the clash happened at the vicinity of Brgy Mangangan Uno of Baco, Oriental Mindoro on Thursday afternoon.

Col. Jose Augusto Villareal, commander of the 203rd Infantry Brigade, the troops were responding on the reported presence of the rebels extorting food from the community when the soldiers encounter about 10 armed men.

Ternio said the 10-minute clash resulted in the recovery of one firearm, an improvised explosive device (IED), technical gadgets, personal effects, food stuff, medicines and voluminous enemy documents with high intelligence value.

Villareal said the troops will facilitate the corpse’s delivery to a funeral parlor “so it will be processed in a dignified manner while waiting for her legally authorized relatives to claim the body”.

Major General Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr, commander of the Philippine Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said the death of Saligumba "who was one of the 'Morong 43' legitimises and justifies the law enforcement operations conducted by security forces in Morong, Rizal 10 years ago."

“It only proves the government’s position then that they were NPA terrorists and not the health workers which NPA-affiliated organizations said they were in their propaganda campaign during that time”, Burgos said.

Ternio said after the encounter, the military received reports that a 12-year-old boy was caught in the crossfire and was grazed by a bullet on his upper right leg."

"The soldiers have already reached out to the family, checked on his status and have extended necessary financial and morale support. The boy is in stable condition," he added.

Ternio said troops are validating information that many other NPA terrorists have been wounded during the firefight.

As of Friday, the military are pursuing the rebels. All soldiers, stations and assets in Southern Tagalog have been alerted for possible follow-on deployment.

"Joint AFP and PNP checkpoints have been established to prevent the NPAs from escaping through the national highway," Ternio said. Robina Asido/DMS