A motorized boat exploded and sank in the waters of Catbalogan City, Northern Samar on Monday after its occupants engaged Army Special Forces in a firefight, the military reported.
The encounter stoked the interest of the public after a social-media site reported that among the occupants of the boat were Benito Tiamzon and his wife, Wilma Austria.
Tiamzon is the chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines and his wife is the group’s secretary general, the military claimed.
While confirming the firefight, Major Gen. Benito de Leon, commander of the 8th Infantry Division (ID), could not ascertain the identities of the people the soldiers had engaged.
He could not also confirm whether the armed men were communist rebels and how many armed suspects the Special Forces encountered during the firefight which occurred at around 4 a.m.
According to the 8th ID, its men received information from a tipster that a group of armed individuals have boarded a boat “with boxes” from a shoreline north of Catbalogan City.
The soldiers immediately conducted water-borne interdiction operation in the area. However, as they approached the boat and asked its occupants to submit themselves to plain view inspection, they were fired upon.
“While the soldier on megaphone is yet to finish the verbal advisory, passengers from (the) motorized boat fired shots towards the government troops. An encounter ensued. During the gunfight, for reasons still being determined, the hostile boat suddenly exploded,” the division said.
“Indeed, there was a water-borne interdiction operations conducted against a hostile motorized boat this morning,” de Leon confirmed.
“Pag-approach palang ng tropa natin, ay nakiusap na tayo para magpa plainview inspection sila. Pero, pinaputukan habang nagsasalita, buti hindi tinamaan, nagkaroon na ng habulan. Tapos bigla nalang sumabog ang motorized boat,” the commander said.
“Sa ngayon, inaalam pa namin kung sino ang mga nakaengkwentro ng tropa natin. Mino-monitor talaga namin ang shorelines in support sa anti-illegal fishing campaign, criminal gangs eluding arrest, ginagamit din itong mobility corridor ng CPP-New People’s Army sa pag-transport personnel, baril at ng anti-personnel mines. Revelation ito ng mga kasamahan nilang (NPA) nagbalik-loob na sa gobyerno,” he added.