Cop wounded, Kalinga soldier dead in Mt Prov NPA-AFP clash

BESAO, Mountain Province – A soldier died while a policeman was wounded when New People’s Army guerillas attacked government forces here Thursday around 2 p.m. at the boundary of this town and Sagada.     

Slain was Cpl. Felimon Anilom Naganag of Calanan and Tabuk City, Kalinga who was assigned at the Special Forces Regiment and Airforce of the Philippine Army.

Naganag perished due to two gunshots which hit his head and back.

According to one of his comrades, Naganag was heard saying, “Adda tamak (I’m hit)” then silence.

Naganag was declared dead on arrival by Dr. Yolanda Calicdan at Besao District Hospital around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Patrolman Hebron B. Awisan of the Philippine National Police tied to rescue Naganag but he was shot on his left arm.

He was attended to by medical staff at the BDH and was declared under a stable condition by Dr. Calicdan.

Awisan was transferred to another hospital Friday morning. This, while the body of Naganag was airlifted to Tabuk City around 12 noon on Friday.

Besao residents said gunfire was heard coming from Naltit then Batikalang, below Angasan (Ampacao mountain), pasture lands and forest areas of Suquib, this municipality.

The encounter between the NPA guerillas and government troopers started around 2 p.m. Thursday.

Around 4 p.m., army soldiers reported accosted 10 farmers at Mt. Ampacao and barred them from going to their fields. 

Earsplitting gun shots were heard at barangays Suquib, Besao East and Besao West, residents said.

Municipal officials which included MLGOO’s Ray Fiar-od, Fire Marshall Ireneo Agcapen and BFP personnel were reportedly on their way back to Kin-iway from Ambagiw when they were informed of the incident.

The group attended the barangay assembly of Ambagiw. Upon reaching the municipal hall, Vice Mayor June Lopsoten, Fiar-od and MDRRMO engineer Mildred Piluden activated the DRRM Operations Center.

Mayor Johnson Bantog II was out of town due to official functions. Initial information that reached the group was the presence of a wounded army soldiers

The municipal ambulance ferrying personnel from the Besao BFP Station was immediately dispatched to Suquib accompanied by military forces.

According to residents of Suquib, they heard gunshots emanating from Naltit at around 2.15 p.m. By 4 p.m., Barangay Captain Frederick Andogan activated the BDRRM operations center.

The barangay chairman with two other barangay officials accompanied by military personnel who arrived from the PHQ to provide reinforcement stationed themselves at Lamagan, Suquib to wait for the arrival of the soldier who was earlier reported as wounded in action. They were later joined by the personnel from the Besao BFP Station.

Due to the armed conflict between the forces of the 81st IB and members of the NPArmy on the mountain top of Sitio Dandanac, Tamboan on July 14-15, 2018, the Municipal Peace and Order Council of this municipality passed Resolution No. 02 s. 2018 banning presence and illegal activities of “lawless elements in Besao.”

                At around 3 p.m. Friday, a loud explosion erupted at Pak-o, a farmland area of Besao East.