Alleged rebel killed, soldier hurt in Masbate clash

A suspected communist rebel was killed while an Army soldier was wounded following a firefight in the island province of Masbate on Friday. Lt. Col. Anthony Purugganan, commander of the Army's 9th Infantry Battalion, said the encounter occurred at Sitio Hanlas in Barangay Pina in San Jacinto town about 6 a.m. The wounded soldier was identified as 1st Lieutenant Michael Morales, who was hit in the head and left arm. Meanwhile, the identity of the slain suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebel was unknown as of posting time. Purugganan said the soldiers, along with 10 policemen, were deployed to the area to check on information that around 20 heavily armed men were spotted there. "My soldiers were approaching the bandits’ position at around 6 a.m. when the heavy exchange of gunfire erupted," he said. Recovered from the clash site were a caliber-45 pistol and an M653 rifle thought to be from the rebels. Several rounds of ammunition for an M16 rifle and subversive documents were also seized. A day before the clash, on Thursday, government forces arrested during a raid a certain Revis Lapida, alleged to be a leader of a private army in in Barangay Cabitan in Mandaon town, also in Masbate. Confiscated from him were four high-powered firearms including a 12-guage shotgun, an M16 rifle, an M1 Garande rifle, and an M1 Carbine rifle. Authorities are still hunting down Lapida's two other companions who escaped during the raid. Since August, government troops have so far arrested 12 suspected members of private armies and seized 14 high-powered firearms. — with Mark Mereuñas/RSJ, GMANews.TV