By AARON RECUENCO
Marine commandos killed five suspected communist rebels, including a top female commander believed to be the daughter of the late New People’s Army (NPA) spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger’ Rosal”, and another high-ranking rebel commander, in a brief clash in Palawan on Thursday morning.
Brig. Gen. Nestor Herico, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, said a team of Marine commandos from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4, was immediately sent into the jungles of Brooke’s Point early Thursday morning after they received a report of a presence of armed men in the area.
“They were organizing and they were recruiting from the people of Brooke’s Point. There were people in the barangay who informed us about the presence of armed men whom we believe are ranking officers,” said Herico.
At around 6 a.m., Herico said the Marine commandos chanced upon at least eight armed men in Sitio Kabuyuan in Barangay Mainit which triggered a brief gunfight. Five of the eight rebels were killed in the gunfight.
Herico said the firefight also resulted in the death of the team leader of the Marine commando whom he said was shot dead while chasing the fleeing rebels.
During the clearing operations, Herico said his men recovered the cadavers of two females and three male rebels.
Three of the slain rebels were identified as Andrea Rosal, secretary of the Kilusan Larangang Gerilya-North; Bonifacio Magramo, who uses the alias Salvador Luminoso and the spokesman of the Bienvenido Vallever Command operating in Palawan and at the same time the secretary of the Sub-Regional Military Area of Southern Tagalog; and female rebel Ren Manalo who uses the alias Ka Pandan.
Another slain rebel was identified only as a certain Ka Selnon.
Rosal is the daughter of the popular NPA spokesman who died of illness several years ago. She was captured in Batangas but was freed in 2015 after the court dismissed the cases leveled against her by the military.
Rosal was pregnant when he was captured in Caloocan City in 2014. Her baby died shortly after breath due to complications reportedly brought by her detention.
Seized during the operation were firearms, laptops, cellular phones, hard drive and other documents.
Herico said there are some 20 to 25 communist rebels operating in Palawan. But with the death of the two leaders, he said this would adversely affect the operations of the NPA in the province and nearby areas.
