1 trooper dead, 1 hurt in Sagada NPA-army clash

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province — Members of the New People’s Army’s Leonardo Pacsi Command and Philippine Army clashed in an encounter here in the northern part of this town at Barangay Aguid 11:30 a.m. Thursday that led to the death of one government soldier and wounding of another.

Police  Col. Homer Penecilla from said  members of  Charlie Company 5ID of the Philippine Army led by 2Ltnt Pulalon were conducting combat operations under the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Philippine National Police Kapanatagan program when they encountered an undetermined number of  members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA that resulted to the death of  Corporal Jordan Manawa  and wounding of  Private 1st Class Melvin Ngodes. Both Manawa and Ngodes are from Kalinga.

Personnel of Sagada Municipal Police Station and the Municipal disaster risk reduction management council assisted evacuation of casualties.

In a statement, the Leonardo Pacsi Command said they are still fighting the government due to “fake ‘kapanatagan’ manifested by heightening fascism, economic crisis, and national oppression that joint efforts to fight  are waged by continuing struggle of farmers and the national minority.”