NPA, Army clash in Masbate, Sorsogon; 4 wounded

Four soldiers were wounded in a firefight between government forces and suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Masbate province on Friday, a military official said, even as another NPA group clashed with Army troops in nearby Sorsogon province. Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, identified the soldiers in the Masbate armed encounter as Pfc. Erjay A. Pondivida, Pfc. Rinante D. Lorejo, Pfc. Jone L. Vela, and Pvt. Aristan G. Dulva. The four were among the nine soldiers deployed to augment an Army checkpoint that had been established to intensify the government’s nationwide gun ban campaign. Cabunoc said the troops were aboard an Army truck traversing the Umabay exterior in Mobo town about 7:30 a.m. when rebels detonated a landmine and opened fire. The four are in stable condition at a hospital in Masbate City, Cabunoc said. NPA-Army encounters in Sorsogon Two hours later, a five-minute firefight ensued between elements of the 49th Infantry Battalion and another group of alleged NPA rebels in Irosin town in Sorsogon. Cabunoc said the soldiers, aboard a Kia truck, were heading back to their headquarters in Juban town, when an armed group of about five fired at them in the village of Salvacion. Simultaneously, the 49th IB also clashed with undetermined number of NPA rebels at Lapinig village in Gubat town in Sorsogon. No casualties were reported in both incidents. According to Cabunoc, the rebels were extorting money from the residents when the clash took place. The NPA intensified its extortion activities against election candidates through an alleged “permit to campaign" scheme, he added. “They are doing these atrocities to scare (the people). These ambuscades are done usually by four or five people. They are scaring the people as part of their extortion," said Cabunoc. NPA suspects nabbed in Laguna Meanwhile, as part of the government's gun ban scheme, three suspected NPA rebels were arrested in Laguna province last Wednesday. Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro, commander of the Army’s 1st Infantry Battalion, identified the three as Nolan Ramos, alias "Gerald Pastolera" and "Boning," an NPA platoon leader in Laguna; Mariano Julongbayan, alias "Tito Garcia" and "Rommel," the rebel group’s finance officer in the province; and Ruelito Soriano. Seized from them were three kilos of explosive material and P203,120 cash, allegedly given by politicians in Laguna who are running in this year’s polls, Bacarro said. The three were aboard a Hyundai Besta van when they were flagged down by government troops manning a checkpoint at Lewin village in Lumban town about 5:30 p.m. last Wednesday. “During the inspection, (1Lt. Chester de Ocampo) noticed the unusual behavior of the passengers and in plain view saw electrical wires believed to be wires for blasting caps in the (suspects’) pocket," said Bacarro. De Ocampo immediately sought assistance from the town policemen who were posted at the same checkpoint for a thorough inspection, and requested the passengers to alight from the vehicle. Baccaro said the three were brought to a nearby public assistance center for questioning while troops searched the vehicle, where two improvised explosive devices were found. The three were further requested to empty their pockets, “which they did voluntarily," he added. At least two blasting caps were recovered from Julongbayan; four from Ramos; and a hand grenade from Soriano. “It is believed that the explosives taken from the three shall be used by the group to further their extortion activities," said Bacarro. He added that the alleged rebels admitted that the money seized from them came from candidates in the forthcoming May elections. Baccaro declined to name the politicians, saying follow-up operations are still ongoing. – Aie Balagtas See/JV, GMANews.TV