BAGUIO CITY – A high ranking leader of the New Peoples Army (NPA) operating in Luzon and two aides were killed by combined police operatives and intelligence agents during a shootout that emanated after they allegedly resisted the service of search warrants and warrants of arrest in their supposed hideout at the Hamada Subdivision, barangay MRR Queen of Peace, here, early Friday morning.
Police Col. Allen Rae F. Co, City Director of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), identified the slain NPA members as Julius Soriano Giron alias Terro, Zoilo, Tatay, Lakay, who is known to be the chairman of the Communist party of the Philippines (CPP) in Northern Luzon and a member of the NPA’s Executive Committee; Lourdes Tan Torres alias Ma. Lourdes Dineros Tangco, Tita, an Executive Committee member in the NPA’s National Health Bureau and a still unidentified male serving as Giron’s security aide.
The police official disclosed that a firefight between the 3 NPA rebels ensued after the alleged communist terrorists resisted the service of search warrants and warrants of arrest against them and subsequently opened fire at the combined police and military personnel deployed in their hideout.
Government troops recovered various firearms such as one M-16 Armalite rifle, 2 caliber .45 pistol, various explosives and other war materials from the hideout of the killed NPA rebels.
The operating troops included personnel of the BCPO, Police Regional office – Cordillera, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), Philippine Army and the Northern Luzon command.
Giron has standing warrants of arrest for various cases such as rebellion, murder, arson and frustrated murder issued by the different courts in his area of jurisdiction.
The slain NPAs are said to members of the national organization of the CPP-NPA operating in Northern Luzon that includes the Cordillera where they sought temporary refuge.
By Dexter A. See
