BUTUAN CITY – The local government of Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur, is currently holding the bodies of two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who were killed on February 12 during an encounter in Sitio Katipunan, Brgy. San Lorenzo, Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur.
The clash took place between the 3rd Special Forces “Arrowhead” Battalion Forces under the operational control of the 401st Infantry “Unite N’ Fight” Brigade.
The deceased individuals have been identified as Larry Garcia alias Joven, the commanding officer of the Regional Sentro de Gravidad, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee (NEMRC), and alias Gaga/Garing, the vice commanding officer of the same group.
According to the official report, the gunfight lasted for 10 minutes, which forced the rebel group members to retreat. The bodies of the two killed members were also abandoned by the rebels.
Important materials were recovered from the encounter, including two backpacks, a Baofeng radio, two Nokia cellphones, blasting caps, a hand grenade, a Claymore mine (IED), various medical supplies, and subversive documents. All items have been handed over to the appropriate authorities for further investigation and the filing of criminal charges against the involved Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) personalities.
