17 Jun Fresh encounter Between Government Troops and NPA at Talisayan Misor
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Just yesterday, June 16, Thursday morning when government troops made an encounter with the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in the outskirts of Barangay Macopa, Talisayan. The said coastal town is 98 kilometers northeast of Cagayan de Oro City.
According to the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division spokesperson Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, the encounter happened at 10:21AM of Thursday while the government troops of the 51st Infantry Battalion were conducting a support to law enforcement operation. A firefight sparked between the two parties which lasted for 20 minutes before the NPA rebels withdrew and even left some of their personal belongings including fully loaded magazines of AK47.
Martinez said that the pursuit operations are still continuing.
On the other hand, while the encounter occurred, a group of evacuees that came from the villages of Kamansi and Banglay in the town of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental conducted a protest at the Capitol Grounds in Cagayan de Oro City. The protest regards to the displacement of 46 families that were forced to leave their homes following the intense clash between the government troops and the NPA which ran for several days the last week. It was reported that there were two suspected rebels who were killed.
It can be recalled that Tagtabulon tribe spokesperson Nenita Helogon said that the presence of the government troops in their community brought anxiety and fear to them, demanding that they’ll immediately leave.
Meanwhile, the lumads are asking for medicines, security and food for the affected families from the provincial government. Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Office (PDRRMO) head Francisco Dy said, “We have provided the evacuees’ medical needs and distributed food packs through the provincial social welfare development office.”
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