Sorsogon firefight kills 5 NPA bandits

MATNOG, Sorsogon- Five members of the NPA bandit group were killed after a clash with Army soldiers here at around 5:45am today (May 23). 

Brigadier General Joselito Kakilala, the Commander of the 903rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, said that he sent a combined elements of the 31st Infantry Battalion and the local police force in order to apprehend the suspects of an extortion activity in Sitio Hukdong, Balukawe village here. 

Kakilala said that the bandits fired their weapons upon seeing the members of the security forces, triggering an intense firefight. 

An hour-long running gun battle ensued when the bandits attempted to flee towards the bushes. 

"The security forces pursued the bandits using fire and maneuver until they splintered into small groups, leaving behind 5 dead comrades and 5 high-powered firearms. Two others were arrested when they were cornered by the operating troops," he said.  

Kakilala said that the troops accounted two Cal 5.56mm M16A1 Rifles, two Cal 5.56mm M653 Rifles, a 40mm Grenade Launcher, two MK2 fragmentation grenades, two improvised bombs, two tactical radios, a sniper scope and a laptop computer among the recovered items. 

A resident who came to the scene of the firefight named one of the fatalities as a certain Ka Randy, a ranking NPA leader. He also claimed that one of the arrested personalities was a PUP student who recently joined the armed group. 

Kakilala said that he is saddened by the NPA's continuous recruitment of young students from state universities. 

" I pity the parents of these poor young students who sent their children to school to pursue education. The NPA recruiters brainwashed them into embracing armed violence which is not the right way to solve social problems," said Kakilala, a Presidential Lingkod Bayan awardee and one of the recipients of The Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS).

The dead bandits were brought to the village center to be identified by the residents before they are turned over to relatives. 

The arrested bandits were brought to the local police station for inquest proceedings. The suspects are facing a string of criminal cases including illegal possession of firearms and extortion.

No one was hurt among the members of the security forces.