By Jennifer P. Rendon
Two police officers were wounded in an armed encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels afternoon of Oct 24, 2021 in Tubungan, Iloilo.
Patrolman Jessie Castamado and Corporal Genel Simpas suffered non-life threatening injuries after they were hit by shrapnel from an improvised explosive device (IED) that exploded in the encounter site.
Castamado and Simpas were assigned to the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company (IPMFC) stationed at Barangay Mayang detachment in Tubungan.
The group was pursuing alleged members of the Southern Front of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay when the incident happened.
Colonel Gilbert Gorero, Iloilo police chief, said both policemen were taken to Rep. Pedro Trono Memorial District Hospital in Guimbal town.
Castamado was released from hospital confinement after receiving medical care while Simpas was transferred to a hospital in Iloilo City for further treatment.
Police are not discounting the possibility that the rebels may have suffered fatalities during the 7-minute clash that happened 2:45 p.m. Sunday at Barangay Jolason, Tubungan.
It appeared that the clash was an offshoot of the harassment the rebels mounted against the patrol base of Mayang detachment.
An IED went off around 1 a.m. of the said day. Troops from the 1st IPMFC decided against a pursuit operation.
Gorero said the suspects could have used an M203 grenade launcher in conducting the harassment.
They were not able to penetrate the area, as it was located on a high ground.
Several hours later, the 1st IPMFC received reports that the rebels were sighted near the villages of Mayang and Jolason.
It was at that point that they conducted a combat pursuit operation.
Around five rebels were spotted before the detonation of two directional-type IEDs.
It was gathered that the rebels are aiming to ambush government troops who would try to pursue them.
There were reported sightings of around 40 rebels in the area of Leon and Tubungan on the same night.
ANTI-DEVELOPMENT
Gorero believed that the rebels’ alleged recruitment and extortion efforts were affected by the creation of a patrol base in Mayang.
Records indicated that Mayang’s neighboring villages are considered as either rebel-affected or rebel-influenced.
“The immediate villages are also beneficiaries of government’s development programs. There have been efforts to develop the areas. Apparently, that’s what the NPAs don’t want to happen. They are trying to block development efforts by conducting atrocities,” Gorero said.
But what happened, he added, will just strengthen the government’s resolve to build more patrol bases to stop the NPA’s terroristic efforts.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Rolando Miranda, Western Visayas police chief, lauded the bravery of the 1st IPMFC personnel in fulfilling their mandate of providing security and maintenance of peace and order.
“I would like to extend my appreciation to the troop who courageously and directly engaged against the communist terrorist group (CTG). Despite the challenges faced, be assured that the PNP will not cease in performing its mandate to maintain security and peace and order in the communities,” Miranda said.
He claimed that the CTG atrocities only proved that they are upset about the PNP’s presence in Barangay Mayang, Tubungan.
“They do not want a peaceful and progressive community. Their fraudulent actions show that they are weakening and are only desperate to project that they remain a strong and capable force, when in fact they are not,” he said.
But amid this, the region’s top cop has urged the rebels not to cause disorder in the communities that will affect the civilians in their pursuit of harming the government forces.
“We encouraged them to return to the folds of law. There are government programs available, like the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which will assist them in resuming a normal and peaceful life,” Miranda said.
