LUCENA CITY – The New People’s Army (NPA) rebels operating in Quezon province hailed the heroism of their four comrades who were slain in an encounter with Army soldiers in San Andres town on Tuesday.

Ka Cleo del Mundo, spokesperson of the NPA-Apolonio Mendoza Command, said they bestowed the highest revolutionary honors to their slain comrades whom she identified as Felicardo Salamat alias “Ka Japson/Ka Jelmon” from Guinayangan Quezon; Paul Aringo – “Ka Arki/Ka Junpio” from Metro Manila; Jomar Resureccion – “Ka Roro” from Cavite province and Jeramie Garcia – “Ka Ash” from Laguna province.

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Military report said the Army soldiers engaged the band of an estimated 20 heavily armed rebels in a 30-minute firefight in Barangay Camflora on Tuesday afternoon. No one was hurt among government soldiers during the firefight.

Soldiers recovered five rifles and a grenade launcher from the clash site.

Del Mundo claimed the fatalities were conducting meetings with farmers in the village who have agrarian and animal theft problems when they were attacked by the government forces.

Del Mundo strongly condemned the military for its alleged violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). She said the soldiers staged the attack without considering the safety of civilians living in two houses in the encounter site.

She said the wounded civilian, Jennifer Yuson, just arrived in the village after she collected her cash subsidy from the government 4Ps program.

She claimed that the Army soldiers forcibly took a certain “Teteng” and Cristopher Redota, a civilian.

Del Mundo said the NPA would avenge the heroism of the slain rebels.

Col. Lenard Agustin, commander of the Army’s 201st Infantry Brigade operating in Quezon, denied Del Mundo’s allegations.

“They were all untrue. Those accusations were only for propaganda purpose to counter the debacle that they suffered,” Agustin said in a phone interview.

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He called on the NPA rebels to abandon their decades-old armed struggle and return to the comfort of their families.

“Return to the fold of the law and be with your loved ones,” he said. SFM

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