Alleged NPA killed, soldier wounded in Quezon encounter

A suspected member of the New People's Army (NPA) was killed in a firefight between government troops and communist rebels in Mulanay, Quezon Wednesday afternoon.

Lieutenant Colonel Emmanuel Cabahug, commanding officer of the 85th Infantry Battalion, said one of the soldiers was injured but is already in stable condition.

He said the troops were in Barangay Ilayang Yuni performing mission in relation to preventing the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) when they obtained information that more or less 20 NPA members were extorting money from residents in the area.

He said troops then responded and a firefight took place. The military was able to recover two firearms.

The military said this was the third encounter between government troops and communists in Southern Tagalog since Saturday incident in which a soldier and an NPA gunman were killed when a Philippine Army Community Support Program (CSP) Team and communist insurgents had an encounter in Rodriguez, Rizal.

On Tuesday, an alleged NPA member was also killed following an encounter in Gumaca town.

On March 18, the government declared a ceasefire with the communist rebels due to the threat of COVID-19 in the country. The Communist Party of the Philippines declared a nationwide ceasefire on March 25.—AOL, GMA News