7 suspected NPA rebels killed in Bulacan clash

Seven suspected communist rebels were killed in a clash in the northern Philippine province of Bulacan early Thursday morning, the spokesperson for the Philippine Army said. Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said the encounter erupted 3:10 a.m. when elements of the 56th Infantry Battalion chanced upon about 30 New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Talamsi 1 in Kalawakan village in Doña Remedios Trinidad town. Among those killed in the hour-long firefight was the leader of the rebel group identified only as Macmac. The operating troops also recovered five M16 rifles, two M14 rifles and an M203 grenade launcher. There were no reported casualties on the side of government troops, Burgos said. Only last Monday, two suspected insurgents were killed in a clash in Sorsogon province, prompting Burgos to claim that the Philippine Army is on track in meeting President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's directive issued in 2006. [See: 2 suspected NPA rebels killed in Sorsogon clash] In June 2006, President Arroyo ordered the military and police to crush the communist insurgency by the end of her term in June this year. As of end December 2009, the military estimated the number of NPA armed regulars to be about 4,700. Peace negotiations with the mainstream communist movement have been stalled since August 2004. On March 29, the NPA will be marking its 41st founding anniversary. - RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV