Abra town halts classes, forest entry amid security ops
Military forces engaged about 10 armed individuals in Barangay Bonglo at 11:10 a.m. on 4 August.
Military forces engaged about 10 armed individuals in Barangay Bonglo at 11:10 a.m. on 4 August.
BAGUIO CITY — The municipal mayor of Licuan-Baay has suspended classes and banned hunting and forest entry across several upland communities following military operations that left three suspected communist rebels dead.
Mayor Darwin L. Domingo issued Executive Order 45 suspending face-to-face classes and school activities in Barangay Bonglo to protect students and teachers.
He also issued Memorandum Order No. 01 instructing officials in the barangays of Bonglo, Lenneng, Bulbulala, Mapisla, Tumalip, Nalbuan and Subagan to restrict residents and hunters from entering nearby forested areas during active security operations.
The orders follow pursuit operations conducted by the Philippine Army’s 50th and 98th Infantry Battalions against suspected members of the New People’s Army Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee.
Military forces engaged about 10 armed individuals in Barangay Bonglo at 11:10 a.m. on 4 August.
Three suspected rebels died in the firefight, and soldiers recovered two M16 rifles and an M14 rifle at the scene, according to authorities. The clash followed an earlier armed encounter in the municipality on 2 August.
The fighting in Licuan-Baay follows a clash two weeks ago in Tineg, Abra, where a newly enlisted soldier was killed.
The security operations in Licuan-Baay have affected more than 300 families, forced the temporary closure of local tourist sites, and prompted local social welfare and disaster response offices to provide relief aid.
Local officials said class suspensions and forest travel restrictions will remain in place until military forces confirm the area is secure.
