Bodies of 2 suspected NPA members found in Camarines Norte clash site —PNP

Five days after an encounter in Camarines Norte, government forces found two bodies, believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA), not far from the clash site.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the decomposing bodies were found covered with coconut palm leaves and grass about one kilometer from the area of encounter.

They were found during a combat security patrol by the 94th Special Action Company of 9th Special Action Battalion and Regional Mobile Force Battalion 5 and 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company.

On Saturday, the PNP said five police officers were killed while two others were injured in an ambush staged by NPA rebels in Labo town.

According to PNP, a platoon was deployed to a road construction project in the area after the construction company received a demand letter from the rebels.

The PNP said the letter demanded the company to pay between 3 to 5% of the cost of the Labo-Tagkawayan road project for immunity from harassment during the construction period.

The police added that the communist guerrillas threatened to burn the company’s equipment if their demands are not met.

While securing the road project, seven members of a police platoon were ambushed at 9:45 a.m. at Purok 6 of Barangay Dumagmang on Friday, according to the PNP.

Citing initial investigation, the PNP said the two bodies were those of NPA members who died when police forces from the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company launched a counter-ambush.

"Apparently, the bodies were abandoned by their fleeing comrades, without the benefit of a proper burial," PNP officer-in-charge Police Lieutenant General Guillermo Eleazar said.

A backpack found along with the bodies contained  wallet, cellphones, identification card, and personal belongings looted from the deceased police officers.

Several IED components and  CPP-NPA documents, Eleazar added.

Police forensic investigators examiners are conducting further examination to identify the bodies, according to PNP.

Invoking "international rules on the conduct of war," the Communist Party of the Philippines on Tuesday said that the NPA attack was justified.

“The NPA raid in Barangay Dumagmang, Labo, Camarines Norte was a legitimate military action consistent with international rules on the conduct of war,” it said.

It added that “the target, a counterinsurgency outpost of highly-trained police special action forces, was a legitimate military target.”

On Wednesday, PNP spokesperson Police Brigadier General Ildebrandi Usana pointed out that the CPP violated the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

“They simply committed murder,” Usana told GMA News Online in a text message on Wednesday.

According to Usana, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) is preparing to file the necessary charges in court in connection with the incident. —KBK, GMA News