黑料社

BAGUIO CITY鈥擜 key official of the communist rebels in Cagayan Valley was among the four who were killed in a series of clashes between Army soldiers and the New People鈥檚 Army (NPA) in Pe帽ablanca town, Cagayan province, on Wednesday, authorities said.

In a statement on Thursday, the military confirmed that Ariel Arbitrario, also known as Karl or Bogart, the regional secretary of the NPA鈥檚 Cagayan Valley Regional Committee (Komiteng Rehiyon Cagayan Valley or KRCV), was among the fatalities during the clashes in Pe帽ablanca鈥檚 remote Barangay Baliuag.

鈥淎rbitrario was the key leader of the communist rebels operating in the mountainous areas of the Cagayan Valley region,鈥� Rogelio Sending, Cagayan provincial information officer, told the Inquirer Thursday.

The armed encounter broke out when a platoon from the Army鈥檚 502nd Brigade under its 5th Infantry Division in Cagayan chanced upon a 17-member group from the KRCV, led by Arbitrario, during military security operations.

READ: Two NPA rebels slain in Cagayan clash

READ: Soldier killed in NPA ambush in Sorsogon town

Prolonged gunbattle

Sending said the bodies of Arbitrario and another rebel were discovered following the 鈥減rolonged gun battle鈥� between the rebels and the government troops in the hinterlands of Pe帽ablanca.

The two other slain communist rebels were earlier identified as 鈥淜a Danielle,鈥� also known as Nieves, a former student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines who left school to join the rebel movement; and 鈥淜a Jorly,鈥� a resident of Barangay Bural in Rizal town, also in Cagayan.

The two rebels sustained gunshot wounds to the head and body, an initial report from the military showed.

After the brief exchange of gunfire, the rebels retreated, leaving behind the bodies of their fallen comrades.

As of Friday, Danielle鈥檚 body remained at a funeral parlor in Tuguegarao City, while Jorly鈥檚 remains have been handed over to his family in Rizal, Cagayan, the Army said.