By MIKE U. CRISMUNDO
BUENAVISTA, Agusan del Norte – A New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed while seven others, three of them Army troopers, were reportedly wounded as heavy gunbattle still rages between government forces and communist insurgents in southern Philippines since early dawn yesterday morning up to 5 p.m., sketchy field military report said.
However, field military commanders denied radio report on the reported seven fatalities on the government side. "This is not true. We have only three wounded as more troops were injected in the area," said Maj. Gen. Samuel B. Bagasin, commanding general of the Army’s Northern and Southern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division.
Maneuvering troops belonging to the 30
th Infantry Battalion, 23rd Infantry Battalion, 41st and 42nd Reconnaisance Companies under the over-all command of Col. Rogelio Rosete, commanding officer of the Army’s 401st Infantry (United and Fight) Brigade, are still in the battle area, trying to pin down some 60 heavily armed NPA rebels under the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Revolutionary Committee, North 77 reportedly led by certain Eva Tuso Magpatoc, alias "Commander Ibyang," Bagasin said.
Two MG 520 attack helicopters of the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 15
th Strike Wing, assisted by gunship helicopters of the 205th Helicopter Wing, already sent three sorties since this morning up to 5 o’clock in the afternoon in the battle area, field report reaching the command center of the 4th Division said.
Artillery Battalion of the 4
th Division also dispatched 105 Cannon Howitzers to help the pursuing troops in the battle area.
The heavy gunbattle started at 4 o’clock in the morning when patrolling troops of the 401
st Brigade engaged the reels at Mt. Mayapay ranges at Guinabsan area, some 15 kilometers southwest here, field report said.
Before noon yesterday, one NPA rebel was already killed while four other rebels were critically wounded. Through radio broadcast, the NPA command asked the International Community on Red Cross (ICRC) to fetch their wounded for immediate medical treatment. Identities of the slain and wounded rebels are still not known.
Identifies of the wounded government soldiers are still withheld pending notification of their respective immediate kins. They were evacuated to Butuan hospital. "All of them are already in stable condition," Bagasin said.
As of this writing, continuous sporadic gunbattle is still reported in the mountains of Guinabsan area.
Chief Supt. Alberto R. Olario, Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) regional director and Joint Task Force Caraga commander deployed his regional mobile force to assist the maneuvering Army troops by establishing blocking positions in the battle area.
Military and police commanders in the area believed the Guinabsan gunbattle is the longest gunbattle so far erupted in Mindanao since early this year.
