The date falls on Maundy Thursday when many pilgrims are expected to flock to churches and pilgrimage sites in the region.
“The Army will remain steadfast in its campaign in
protecting the populace from terrorists and other threat group’s criminal
activities, and secure churches, places of religious worship, resorts, economic
centers, seat of government instrumentalities, and other vital installations to
ensure the peaceful observance of the Lenten season,” said Philippine Army 8th
Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Raul Farnacio, in a statement issued
Monday. He said security measures in camps and detachments were heightened.
The top military official in the region issued the
statement after soldiers encountered five NPA fighters in the upland Cansangaya
village in Can-avid, Eastern Samar before noon on Sunday.
The army acted in on the information of residents
that communist rebels were conducting extortion activities in their community.
No one on either side was hurt during the
five-minute firefight, but soldiers recovered a rifle and a bandolier with four
clips of magazine with ammunition as rebels fled to the forest.
The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of
the Philippines formed and founded by Bernabe Buscayno and Lucio Manlapaz on
March 29, 1969.
In Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Army disclosed
that three cities and 24 towns in the region have confirmed NPA activities.
There are 404 active NPA members in the region equipped with 576 firearms in
the region’s four provinces, the military said. (SQM/PNA)
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