Six slain rebels known in clash with troopers

By Mar T. Supnad

CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac- The names of the six slain New People’s Army rebels killed, together with a wounded commander during a fierce 10-hour running gunbattle few days ago in Barangay Bobon, Camiling town was identified by the Army.

Maj. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, Jr., commander of the Northern Luzon command, said that the whole squad of heavily armed rebels was wiped out during the clash, which he said a major set back to the rebels.

Catapang identified the slain rebels as Rochelle Dorothy “Iris” Entereso Olanda, 23, political guide, PUP student taking up BSC management, from Caloocan city; Redal “Dado” Dungca Garingo, squad leader, 51, from Victoria Tarlac; Nicolas Villaflor Patun-og, 51, of Subic Zambales; Rodolfo “Diego” Umayan Dela Cruz, 24, from Laoag, Aguilar Pangasinan; Andrew Manuel “Pogi” Dela Rosa, of Sola, San Jose, Tarlac; Robin “Rustom” G. Cabalong Jr, of Carranglan, Nueva Ecija;  and the wounded as Jun Mendoza, training squad leader, from Iba, San Jose Tarlac, who was captured and wounded now in V Luna  Hospital in Manila.

Mendoza has warrant of arrest for serious illegal detention with rape signed by Judge S Vallo, RTC BR 68 in Camiling Tarlac.

"Actually I have long been tracing and looking for these rebels until they were cornered by our soldiers. The heavily armed rebels fought hard but they were all wiped out and we have no casualty," Catapang told this reporter in a telephone call.

He said the following firearms were recovered after the encounter: 1 - M60 LMG, 1 - M14 rifle , 3 - M653 rifles ( Baby armalite), 4 -  M16 rifles, 1 - 40mm Grenade launcher. While 1 - Cal .45 pistol, 1 - 9mm pistol and a Bushnell rifle scope were also recovered which were found in the backpacks of the killed NPAs.

"May nakuha pang caliber 45, 9 mm pistol, rifle grenades, 600 assorted live bullets at P50,000 cash money from the slain rebels," Catapang said. 

He added Ka April and Ka Val who escaped at the height of the firefight but are believed to be wounded and are being hunted.

The group stayed at the house of Ruben Martin when the military launched a big operation to preempt the NPA remnants from conducting atrocities before the President's state of the nation addresss, the Nolcom chief said.