CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The military on Monday said it is pursuing suspected New People’s Army forces as they try to locate a soldier held captive by the rebels in Bukidnon last week.
This developed as a suspected member of the communist insurgents was killed Friday in an encounter with troops of the 8th Infantry Battalion under the 403rd Infantry Brigade, brigade spokesperson Captain Norman Tagros said.
The rebel, who remains unidentified, was killed at around 4:30 p.m. on May 5 in the outskirts of Sitio Lagaslasan, Barangay Kulaman, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.
"The incident took place after the troops who conducted focused military operations in the area were fired upon by more or less five armed men," Tagros said. “The operations were launched in response to the complaints of the residents about the presence of armed men who are constantly threatening the civilians while asking for food and extorting money from the residents.”
In a different part of Bukidnon, the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division has deployed troops to go after the captors of Technical Sergeant Joseph Paredes, who belonged to the 8th IB, a unit of the 4ID.
According to Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, 4ID spokesperson, Paredes was unarmed and was with his wife on board a motorcycle when taken by force by the NPA rebels in Barangay Poblacion, Valencia City, Bukidnon.
Paredes “was on RNR [rest and recreation] and was preparing for his retirement,” Martinez said.
The capture of Paredes happened just as the NPA fighters raided a security agency office, while their comrades set up a blockade on a portion of the highway in that area last Friday.
Wearing police uniforms, a group of NPA insurgents entered the office of Dasia security agency and took away assorted firearms and other valuables before fleeing using the company’s armored vehicles.
At the road blockade, not far from where the rebels stormed Dasia, another group of police uniform-wearing rebels flagged down motorists, one of them happened to be Paredes.
The NPA members kept telling motorists to stop as their companions were conducting “tokhang” operation in the area.
Paredes was identified by the insurgents through his identification card.
“The [rebels] immediately dragged him (Paredes) off his motorcycle and hurled him inside of the armored vehicles. The soldier’s wife, who was shocked at the moment, was pushed down by the NPA to a muddied area,” the 4ID statement said.
Recovered from the possession of the unidentified rebel were one bandoleer with four magazines of an AK-47 rifle loaded with 83 rounds of ammunition, a two-way radio charger, and several subversive documents.
"The identity of the bandit is yet to be identified as local officials of the nearest barangay are currently retrieving the cadaver of said suspected NPA member, while the 8th Infantry Battalion have already coordinated with the PNP Crime Laboratory of Bukidnon for proper examination," Tagros said.