BY AARON RECUENCO
Government troops and suspected communist insurgents clashed in Palawan on Thursday morning, resulting in the death of one Marine commando and five rebels.
Lt. Col. Stephen Penetrente, spokesman of the Western Mindanao Command, said the firefight erupted at around 5 a.m. when elements of the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4 chanced upon eight communist rebels while conducting security operations.
The clash, he said, occurred in Sitio Kabuyuan, Barangay Mainit in Brooke’s Point, a first class town in Palawan with more than 66,000 residents based on the 2015 census.
As a result, a Marine commando identified as Staff Sgt. Cesar Vargas was killed. He was the team leader of the team.
Penetrente said five rebels were also killed during the clash.
Aside from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 4, several teams of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) are assigned in Palawan. (Aaron Recuenco)
