Four soldiers wounded in firefight vs alleged NPAs in Quezon

March 8, 2019

Four soldiers were wounded in a 30-minute firefight between the military and alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Quezon Province on Friday morning.

Capt. Patrick Jay Retumban, public affairs chief of the  2nd Infantry Division, said troops encountered an undetermined number of gunmen at Sito Salok, Brgy Magsaysay in Infanta around 8:07 am.

Lt Col. Christopher Diaz, commander of 80th Infantry Battalion, said the wounded soldiers have been evacuated while additional forces were sent to augment the troops pursuing the rebels.

“Additional forces have been deployed to pursue the fleeing terrorists who have been on the run trying to escape (from) the long arms of the law,” he said.

Diaz said the operation was made in response to a plan by the bandits to conduct atrocities, especially burning of construction equipment.

“The military believes that this group is part of the NPA unit which they encountered in Luisiana, Laguna in February 14 where John Carlo Alberto alias Damian/Iñigo, a student of UPLB, was killed after he was recruited and deceived by the communist terrorists to join their armed group as a fighter,” he said.

Retumban said Major General Rhoderick Parayno, commander of the 2nd Infantry Division, expressed his gratitude to the people of Infanta for providing information to security forces. Robina Asido/DMS