NPA female fighter killed, IED seized in Northern Samar clash

A New People’s Army (NPA) female fighter was killed while an improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered along with three cellular phones following a clash with 43rd Infantry Battalion troopers in Bobon, Northern Samar on Tuesday. (Photo by Mike Gonzalez (TheCoffee) – English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0,)

MANILA—A New People’s Army (NPA) female fighter was killed while an improvised explosive device (IED) was recovered along with three cellular phones following a clash with 43rd Infantry Battalion troopers in Bobon, Northern Samar on Tuesday.

The incident took place at Sitio Cabaywa, Barangay Santander, of the above-mentioned locality, 1st Lt. Cherry M. Junia said in a statement Thursday.

She identified the slain NPA as Bernadette Lutao alias “Kakan” and wife of rebel leader Salvador Nordan, alias “Badok”.

Junia said the troopers from the 43rd Infantry Battalion were conducting combat patrols in the area when they chanced upon Nordan’s group around 6 a.m., triggering a five-minute firefight which resulted in the death of Lutao and recovery of the IED and three cellular phones.

Government forces sustained no losses in the encounter, she added.

The use of IED is restricted under the United Nations Geneva Convention because of its indiscriminate effects and humanitarian harm it can cause to innocent civilians as well as a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the CPP-NPA-NDF.

“The NPA has been deliberately violating the human rights with their production and employment of IEDs and their continuous disruption of the peaceful lives of our fellow Filipinos especially those in the far-flung barangays,”8th Infantry Division commander Major Gen. Raul M. Farnacio said.