4 suspected NPA rebels killed in clash with soldiers in Masbate —military

Four suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) died in an encounter with soldiers in Masbate on Friday, the Philippine Army said.

The clash occurred at around 5:50 a.m. at the boundary of Barangay Baras in the municipality of Esperanza and Barangay Manlut-od in the municipality of Placer, the Army said.

According to the military, concerned citizens informed them that there were suspected communists in their area.

Members of the Philippine Army's 2nd Infantry Battalion under the 903rd Infantry Brigade and the Philippine National Police (PNP) then proceeded to the area and encountered at least 20 suspected NPA rebels.

This led to an "intense firefight" which "lasted for an hour" and led to the death of the four suspected rebels, the Army said.

Recovered from the encounter site were one R4 rifle, two M16 rifles, two M653 rifles, one Garand rifle, two rifle grenades, one hand grenade, anti-personnel mines and terroristic propaganda materials, it added.

The Army said no one was hurt on the government side.

Philippine Army 2nd Infantry Brigade battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Siegfried Felipe Awichen called out the suspected NPAs for their "attempt to terrorize" at the height of Typhoon Odette.

"In times when we should be lending our hands to the populace in the Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA), the CTG [communist terrorist group] continues to plunder the countryside further adding to the woes of our impoverished fellow Filipinos," he said.

Philippine Army 903rd Infantry Brigade brigade commander Colonel Aldwine Almase meanwhile thanked residents for informing them of the presence of the rebels.

Police Regional Office 5 Regional Director Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo directed PNP troops to hunt down the rebels trying to find shelter in the province after the encounter.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Adonis Bajao, acting division commander of the Army's 9th Infantry Division, on the other hand assured residents of stringent security measures amid government response to Typhoon Odette's aftermath. —KG, GMA News