Suspected rebel killed in Negros Occ clash — Army

A suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebel was killed following a clash with government security forces in Negros Occidental in central Philippines over the weekend, the Philippine Army said Monday. At 12 midnight Sunday, troops from the 61st Infantry Battalion engaged seven NPA rebels at Sitio Cogon, Gatuslao village in Candoni town, said Army spokesperson Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres. At the time of the encounter, Torres said the troops were patrolling the area and chanced upon the insurgents. A fragmentation grenade, foodstuff and personal belongings were recovered from the rebels who fled after the firefight. The clash came on the eve of the NPA's 41st founding anniversary on March 29. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). In June 2006, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the military and police to crush the communist insurgency by the time she ends her term on June 30 this year. Peace negotiations between the government and the mainstream communist group have been stalled since August 2004, when the National Democratic Front (NDF) withdrew from the talks after accusing Manila of not exerting efforts in convincing the US and its allies into removing the CPP-NPA-NDF in their list of terrorist organizations. — RSJ, GMANews.TV