Philippines fighting claims 22 victims

Press, 17 May 1989, Page 11

Philippines fighting claims 22 victims

NZPA-AFP Manila Twenty-two people, including a retired United States seaman, were slain in the Philippines in the previous four days, military spokespeople and press reports said in Manila yesterday. Unidentified gunmen shot dead a retired United States seaman and his Filipino wife in the central Iloilo province, the military said. Mr Robert Evan and his wife, Jasmin, were shot dead on Friday by two unidentified gunmen near their home in Bularan village in Banate town. In Taytay town, just outside Manila, a fourman assassination team of the insurgent New People’s Army (N.P.A.) shot dead a former village chairman.

One of the assassins was shot dead by policemen while two others were captured and the fourth escaped, a military spokesperson said, adding that a policeman in the same town was killed by the N.P.A., In the southern province of Zamboanga del Norte, six N.P.A. guerrillas were killed in two separate clashes with Army troops at the weekend, military spokespeople said. Five N.P.A. guerrillas were killed in a clash with Army soldiers on Saturday in the central town of Sipalay on Negros island, they said. The Philippines news agency reported five communist guerrillas were killed in two separate clashes with paramilitary constabulary

troops on Saturday and Sunday in Leyte island.. Ah Army soldier was also slain on Monday when his patrol was ambushed by the N.P.A. in Samal town in Bataan province. Meanwhile, a paramilitary colonel who reportedly forced a reporter at gunpoint to eat a copy of his own newspaper has been relieved of his post, a police spokesperson said on Monday. Mr Luis Reyes, reporter for the provincial newspaper “Panahon” (Time), alleged that Lieu-tenant-Colonel Norberto Manaog pointed a gun at his head on May 8 and forced him to eat an edition of the newspaper in which a report linked the officer to cattle rustling and illegal gambling.