3 suspected rebels slain in Zambales clash

Police killed 3 suspected Communist rebels in a clash in Candelaria town, Zambales province, Wednesday morning.

Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina, Philippine National Police spokesman, said police operatives encountered at least 30 armed members of the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan in Sitio Macahe Cahe in Barangay Malabon around 7 a.m..

Espina said the same group was encountered by reinforcement troops from the Zambales Police Provincial office and Candelaria Police Station in the same village, killing 3 of the rebels.

Seized from the 2 encounter sites were an AR 15 rifle, a 9mm pistol, 300 rounds of ammunition for caliber M60, 3 ammunition for m203 grenade launchers, operational and personal effects of the rebels.

Pursuit operations against the remaining rebels were ongoing as of this posting. -- Report from Noel Alamar, radio dzMM

No NPA campaign tax in Zambales

IBA, ZAMBALES — Governor Amor Deloso said that here in this province, the New People’s Army (NPA) does not implement campaign taxes despite rumors that some of the candidates of other provinces in the country have been asked to pay for campaigning in their areas.

According to Deloso, they have already conveyed with the ranking officers of the NPA here, adding that it would go against their idealism of a free country if the only candidate capable of campaigning would be those who are rich.

“It would not be a free nation if the candidate who will campaign in those areas and win will only be those candidates with money. Ibig bang sabihin mayayaman lang ang puwedeng tumakbo? Deloso said.

Currently, the province of Zambales has around 7,000 rebels scattered all around the province and 1,500 of them are willing to vote this coming elections.

The province, Deloso said, attends to all sectors of the community especially during medical needs even if that sector is part of the NPA. “They are Zambaleños. If they need any help, especially medical attention, I will certainly attend to their needs,” he added. (Jonas Reyes)

NPA chief surrenders to gov't troops in Zambales

A ranking New People's Army (NPA) chief has voluntarily surrendered to government troops, leading to the recovery of firearms in Zambales, the military said today.

Felisisimo Jacobe, a high-ranking NPA leader in Pampanga, turned himself to elements of the 3rd Infantry Battalion last Dec. 15, reports reaching the Philippine Army headquarters said.

Jacobe handed over his cal. 45 pistol and several ammunitions.

The rebel leader also led government troops to the location of two arms cache in Brgy. Naugsol, Subic, Zambales, where soldiers recovered seven M-16 assault rifles, three M-14 rifles, four M-653 rifles and an M-203 grenade launcher. By Dennis Carcamo (philstar.com)

One dead, many wounded as Army, NPA clash in Zambales

Palauig, Zambales -- Clashes broke out between the military and the communist New People's Army (NPA) Friday morning in Sitio Aguas, Barangay Babuyan, Sta. Cruz, Zambales that left one dead and an undetermined number wounded.

In a phone interview, Col. Philip S. Lapinid, commanding officer of the 24th IB, 7ID of the Philippine Army, narrated that they received late last night an intelligence report of communist movement in Sitio Aguas where some 60 communist guerillas belonging to the Sangay ng Partido sa Platon (SPP) is conducting a mass indoctrination and recruitment operation.

The 24th IB, he said, immediately initiated a hot pursuit operation until firefight erupted at about 9:30 am, Friday morning and lasted about five hours. The brigade immediately called for reinforcements from other Philippine Army detachments and cornered the rebels.

The identity of the lone fatality, a member of the communist insurgents, and those of the wounded are still unknown as clearing operations are still being conducted as of press time.

This is the second reported encounter between the army and the rebels this week as the Phil. Army engaged a group of Rebolusyonaryong Hukbong Bayan (RHB) in Barangay Malabon, Candelaria, Zambales.

An armalite riffle was recovered during the operation. No casualties or injured were reported. (AMV/PIA-Zambales)

Gunmen torch 5 Victory buses, wound 7

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan – Six policemen and a civilian were wounded shortly after midnight yesterday when suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked the Victory Liner Bus Terminal on Avenida Street, Poblacion, here, torching five buses and shooting it out patrolling police.

Superintendent Harris Fama, local police chief, said the heavily-armed men engaged police on patrol around 12:40 a.m., wounding six of eight policemen in action.

Fama identified the wounded cops as PO3 Daniel Sison, PO3 Alex de Guzman, PO2 Reynaldo Domalanta, PO1 Herman Camba, PO1 Armeno Abarabar and PO1 Ramon Valencerina.

"Our personnel also managed to hit several armed men as evidenced in information coming from civilians who witness the withdrawal of the suspects," he said, adding that the wounded were out of danger.

As the gunmen made their getaway aboard two white vans, police noticed that a Victory Liner bus had been burning.

Bus conductor Villamor Mu-yanos of Zambales was caught sleeping in the bus when it was torched and sustained third-degree burns, said Fama.

A few minutes later, four other buses were already engulfed by fire, leaving nothing minutes later but carcasses.

While the communist rebels surfaced as the main suspects in the incident, probers are eyeing other angles as motive in the attack, such as labor dispute which emerged as the motive in the burning of buses in Cubao, Quezon City a few months ago.

Fama said checkpoints and chokepoints have already been established in Pangasinan and nearby provinces as augmenting police and military combatants have been called in to join in hot pursuit operations. By LIEZLE BASA • AARON RECUENCO - TEMPO

Alleged NPA leader nabbed in Olongapo

An alleged officer of the New People’s Army (NPA) was arrested by operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Olongapo City Wednesday morning, a police official said.

Senior Superintendent Marvin Bolabola, regional officer of the CID unit in Olongapo City, said they have arrested Oscar Belleza, allegedly a leader of the NPA operating in the areas of La Paz, McArthur, Buraruen, Inopacan, and Baybay in Leyte.

The arrest stemmed from a warrant of arrest issued by the Leyte regional trial court under Judge Efraim Abando against Belleza, who is facing charges of multiple murder, Bolabola said. By Abigail Kwok - INQUIRER.net

NPA, two ex-workers tagged in Victory bus torching

Two former employees of Victory Liner and the communist New People’s Army (NPA) are at the center of a police investigation of a recent attack on the bus firm’s garage in Quezon City.

Superintendent Franklin Moises Mabanag, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District, said the two dismissed employees filed their cases only last February and March and could have the motive for last Wednesday’s attack.

However, a senior police officer involved in the investigation said they are looking into the possibility that communist rebels infiltrated the bus firm’s labor union and could have supported the attack.

He said dismissed employees are holding pickets at the Victory Liner terminal in Tarlac, a reported stronghold of NPA guerrillas.

He said it is a given that most, if not all, left-leaning labor groups give money to the NPA in exchange for protecting their members.

The senior police officer said that even if dismissed workers are linked to the attack, they could not have done it by themselves. He noted that 10 armed men, in two vehicles, barged into the Victory Liner garage before midnight Wednesday and disarmed the lone security guard on duty.

Four of the suspects ordered the guard and several bus personnel to remove their personal possessions from the buses, and the rest of the armed men set the vehicles on fire using two pails of paint thinner.

According to Mabanag, the labor cases filed by the two former workers earlier this year are preceded only by a case that was filed way back in 2006.

"So we’re now asking the NLRC (National Labor Relations Commission) to provide us a copy of the said case for us to know the complaints of these two (former) employees," Mabanag told The STAR in an interview.

These two cases are among the eight pending labor cases filed against the management, which Mabanag earlier said was the "closest link" to the attack. He does not believe the assault could be the handiwork of communist rebels.

While refusing to divulge the identities of the two former employees, Mabanag said they are residents of Malabon and are natives of Iba and Botolan towns in Zambales.

Coincidentally, a similar attack was recorded in Zambales in early 2000 involving another Victory Liner bus.

Citing information from Zambales provincial police director Senior Superintendent Roland Felix, a bus bound for Botolan was blocked by armed men, who ordered the passengers to get off the bus before setting the vehicle on fire.

"So we’re looking into these previous cases, because if these former employees really have grievances against the company, the percentage (of them getting back at the management) is high... They’re angry and that is manifested in these actions," Mabanag noted.

"But the company doesn’t seem to be bothered by it because they always say the affected buses are covered by insurance claims," he added.

Mabanag also dismissed insinuations that Wednesday night’s attack could only be aimed at collecting insurance claims for the firm’s old buses.

He said if that were the case, the attackers should have focused only on old buses and not tried to damage the other buses parked in the garage.

Mabanag noted that during the attack last Wednesday, the attackers poured paint thinner leading to the newer buses, thinking these would also be totally burned after an old bus was set on fire.

Authorities, however, soon arrived and put out the fire a few minutes later. By JAIME LAUDE and REINIR PADUA - The Philippine Star