By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON
Correspondent
SOLDIERS and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels exchanged firepower in an outlying village in Quezon town in Bukidnon yesterday, killing at least six people on Thursday afternoon.
Ariel “Ka Inda” Magbanuag, NPA spokesperson for South Central Bukidnon, said rebels killed six soldiers, including an official, during the fierce encounter in the village of Linabo.
Magbanuag said the clash started when an NPA squad fired at a column of the 8th Infantry Battalion at around 2:20 pm.
Magbanuag said the guerrilla were aware of ongoing military operations, and “the best way to defend our area was to take an offensive stance.”
He said the firefight lasted for only about five minutes.
Magbanuag also claimed there was no casualty on the NPA side.
Magbanuag said the NPA learned of the deaths because villagers were allegedly instructed by the soldiers to transport the bodies out of the encounter site.
The military officials here are yet to respond on the statement of Magbanuag regarding the incident. At presstime, the military has yet to release details about the alleged Linabo encounter.
Both the military and police in the region have already tightened security measures in the advent of the NPA’s celebration of its 47th founding anniversary on March 29, and because of the Holy Week.
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