3 rebels killed in Abra clash; Señires urges remaining NPA members to surrender

Abra, Philippines – Three former guerrilla officials were killed in the latest armed encounter between government troops and suspected members of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) of the New People's Army (NPA) on August 4 in Barangay Bonglo, Licuan-Baay, Abra.

The bodies of the three slain rebels were recovered by government troops during clearing and pursuit operations following the fourth armed clash with an estimated 10 ICRC members operating in the area.

The 5th Infantry Division (5ID) identified the fatalities as Alias Chico/Abdul, former secretary of the Komiteng Larangang Guerilya (KLG) North Abra who also served as its political guide (Giyang Pampulitika); Jhonie Davide Escobilla, former First Deputy Secretary of KLG Baggas; and Eugene Hilaus, also known by the aliases Aki, Ken, and Dina, a former organizer of Anakbayan Ilocos and Katribu Youth NCR.

Authorities said Alias Chico was a native of Novaliches, Quezon City, while Escobilla was from Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.

In a statement, 5ID Commander Major General Gulliver L. Señires expressed his condolences to the families of the slain rebels while renewing his appeal to the remaining members of the dismantled ICRC to abandon the armed struggle and return to peaceful civilian life.

"Taos-puso akong nakikiramay sa mga naiwang pamilya at mahal sa buhay ng mga nasawi. Nawa'y magsilbi itong paalala sa mga natitira pang kasapi ng CTG na may pagkakataon pa silang talikuran ang armadong pakikibaka at piliin ang landas ng kapayapaan. Nananatiling bukas ang pamahalaan sa mga nais magbagong buhay at muling makapiling ang kanilang mga pamilya," Señires said.

The 5th Infantry Division added that it is still verifying the identities of the three slain rebels and is coordinating with their families for the proper turnover of their remains.

The August 4 bloody encounter

The August 4 encounter in Barangay Bonglo, Licuan-Baay, was the latest in a series of military operations targeting the remaining members of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC), a weakened guerrilla group that has been operating in parts of Abra and nearby provinces. Government troops launched focused operations in the area following intelligence reports on the presence of armed rebels, resulting in four separate armed encounters with an estimated 10 guerrillas.

The clearing and pursuit operations that followed led to the recovery of the bodies of the three slain rebels.

The latest operation came just two weeks after another clash in Abra on July 20, in which a government soldier, Private First Class Drexler Gumayat of Tabuk City, Kalinga, was killed while two other soldiers were wounded during an encounter with suspected ICRC members in Tineg, Abra. Following that incident, the Philippine Army renewed its appeal for the remaining rebels to surrender peacefully and avail themselves of the government's reintegration programs.

Military officials have maintained that sustained operations against the remaining ICRC members are part of efforts to prevent the group from regrouping and to preserve the security gains achieved in Northern Luzon. They also continue to encourage the remaining armed rebels to abandon the armed struggle and return to their families through the government's peace and reintegration initiatives.