The timely information provided by concerned citizens in Capiz province’s Dumalag town prevented the alleged extortion activities of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in the mountainous Barangay Duran yesterday.

Lt. General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s Visayas Command, said the vigilance exercised by residents in providing information was very helpful in their anti-insurgency efforts.

“Their fervent desire for a CPP-NPA-free community drives us to employ legitimate military force against these communist-terrorists to stop them from threatening our people’s safety and well-being,” he said in a statement released by the 3rd Division Public Affairs Office of the 3rd Infantry Division.

The Division Public Affairs Office, in the same statement, showed the 12th Infantry Battalion had received information about the presence of the armed group in the area, prompting them to conduct a security patrol together with the Philippine National Police.

“Upon reaching the area, the troops encountered more or less five fully-armed members of the CPP-NPA believed to be members of the Central Front,” it said.

A five-minute firefight ensued before the rebels fled toward the southeast. No one was hurt in the brief gun battle among the government troopers, but bloodstains were found along the NPA’s withdrawal route.

A homemade 12-gauge shotgun, one .45-caliber pistol, two anti-personnel mines with detonator switches, one hand grenade, five magazines for an M16 rifle, two magazines for .45 caliber, assorted live ammunition, personal belongings, assorted medicine, and subversive documents were recovered at the encounter site after the estimated five-minute exchange of fire. (PNA)