Five members of CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA) have died following an encounter with members of New People's Army this Friday morning in Quezon province, the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Southern Luzon Command spokesperson, Col. Dennis Cana, said.

Lt. Col. Hector Estolas, the spokesperson of the 2nd Infantry Division (2ID), said the encounter occurred around 7:00 a.m. at Sitio Pag-asa, Barangay Mapulot, which borders Tagkawayan town and the municipality of Labo in Camarines Norte.

Estolas said the CAFGUs were patrolling the area with one of their soldiers in Barangay Mapulot when they encountered the armed group. The troops were hit by an anti-personnel mine first before being fired upon by the enemies, he added.

Three more militiamen under the CAA Detachment Mapulot and a lone soldier from the 85th Infantry Battalion were also wounded in the encounter.

Estolas said the CAFGUs and military were conducting a patrol operation in response to a tip about the presence of around 60 to 70 armed men in the area.

Meanwhile, Cana said families of the CAA are being notified and the remains were being transported to funeral services for proper respect and disposition.

"We are giving our salute to these brave Filipinos who willingly gave their lives in the service of our country. They died protecting the community against these communist terrorists," Cana said.

The military is conducting an ongoing pursuit operation against the rebels.

Cana said the NPAs may have come from a nearby province and may have thought that they still had their old haven in Brgy Mapulot, an area historically the ground of the famous NPA leader "Ka Roger."

"However, Information from the populace revealed the presence of the CT in the hinterlands, which our government troops acted upon. Quezon province had declared being insurgency free, and the people wanted to make it stay that way," Cana said.