GOVERNMENT troops exhumed the remains of five New People’s Army rebels who were reportedly killed by fellow rebels due to internal squabbling in Maconacon, Isabela.
Capt. Rigor Pamitan, spokesman of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said the remains were recovered based on information provided by three NPA rebels who surrendered last month.
Pamitan said the remains were dug out by troops from the Army’s 59th Infantry Battalion, under Lt. Col. Carlos Sangdaan Jr., in Barangay Canadam last Friday.
Pamitan said the five were killed this year but could not say exactly when.
Pamitan said the five rebels were led by the commanding officer of the NPA’s Front Operation (FOC), who was identified only by his aliases Rigid and Mawin.
The four others were alias Brad/Airus, FOC vice commanding officer; alias Dondon, vice squad leader of NPA Squad Uno; and Squad Ds members Monmon and Bambo.
“Based on the revelation of the former rebels, their former comrades were killed due to misunderstanding on how to run their organization,” said Pamitan.
Last June 3, soldiers exhumed the remains of three other rebels in the same town, also based on information provided by the rebel returnees. The three were alias Eloy, alias Bryan and alias Marco, who were reportedly slain in May and June.
Army soldiers killed an NPA rebel in a firefight in Palimbang town in Sultan Kudarat on Sunday, the military reported yesterday.
Troops from the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion were on a combat clearing operation when they clashed with about five rebels in Barangay Tibuhol in Palimbang at around 4:45 p.m.
The rebels withdrew after a brief firefight, said the AFP Western Mindanao Command.
