Army troops foil rebels’ planned attack in Aklan

By Jennifer P. Rendon

No one was reported injured or killed in an encounter between Philippine Army soldiers and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members on May 14 at Libacao, Aklan.

Troopers of the 12th Infantry Brigade were conducting combat operations when they received reports on the presence of NPA rebels at the hinterland village of Dalagsaan. The area is on the border of Antique and Capiz provinces.

While there was no body count, military authorities are not discounting the possibility that the rebels suffered injuries because of the bloodstains in their withdrawal route.

Members of the 12th IB engaged around 10 armed NPA rebels in a 10-minute firefight.

The rebels then withdrew and left behind some war items and personal belongings.

Seized from the encounter site were a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine and several rounds of ammunition, a BaoFeng handheld radio, a backpack containing an NPA flag, personal belongings, and various electronic devices such as a tablet and mobile phones.

Brigadier General Michael Samson, 301st Infantry Brigade commander, said there has been relentless internal security operations on the borders of Capiz and Antique, which may have pushed the rebels to Aklan.

“We’ve been doing an intensive combat operations, especially in the Tapaz (Capiz) area. Their world is getting smaller kaya natulak na sila papuntang Aklan.”

On April 1, 2022, a woman was also killed in an encounter in the same barangay.

The lone fatality is reportedly a member of the Sentro de Grabidad (SDG) Igabon Platoon of the Kometing Rehiyon-Panay (KR-P)’s Central Front (CF).

Aklan was declared an insurgency-free province in December 2011.