By Froilan Gallardo
Special Correspondent

MARAMAG, Bukidnon — Two of the four New People’s Army rebels killed and nine others who were captured during an encounter in Bukidnon on Wednesday, tested positive for Covid-19 antigen tests, Army and police officials said yesterday.

Brig. Gen. Ferdinand Barandon, commander of the Army 403rd Infantry Brigade said they have isolated the nine captured rebels who are still in their custody and treating them as “direct contacts.”

Barandon said the rebels would be subjected to reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests to be conducted by the municipal health office of San Fernando town.

“The rebels in our custody are exhibiting Covid-19 symptoms like coughing and fever. Doctors have been sent to assist them,” Barandon said.

San Fernando police chief Maj. Jesse James Lasdoce said the municipal Inter-Agency Task Force on Covid-19 ordered the immediate burial of the four dead rebels after one body tested positive in the antigen test.

“The bodies were buried as we speak today after our IATF ordered their immediate burial,” Lasdoce said.

Lasdoce said the IATF also ordered the army to conduct RT-PCR swab tests on the rebels in their custody.

“Our IATF is interested (in) the female rebel who is now confined in a hospital for gunshot wounds. She was the one who tested positive in the antigen test,” he said.

In its briefer yesterday, the Department of Health Region 10, reported 393 new Covid-19 infections in Bukidnon province, the highest in northern Mindanao.

The DOH briefer also reported 28 deaths from Covid-19 in Bukidnon province out of the 59 confirmed case deaths in region 10.

“Roxanne,” an NPA spokesperson in Southern Bukidnon said they have implemented strict health protocol to prevent infections among their ranks.

“Those comrades who have gone down to the towns were subjected to several days isolation before they can rejoin their squad,” Roxanne said.

The rugged life in guerilla zones, “Roxanne” said prevented NPA medical teams to secure Covid-19 medicine supplies except for antibiotics and over-the-counter medicines.

“We are resorting to herbal medicine if we have a case of Covid-19 infection in our ranks,” she said

Barandon said Army troops clashed with a band of 20 communist rebels inside a forest in Barangay Mabuhay, San Fernando town on Wednesday.

He said in the ensuing one-hour gunfight, the soldiers killed four rebels and captured nine others including three minors’ ages ranging from seven years old to 15 years old.

Barandon said the soldiers seized a total of 15 high-powered firearms that included five AK 47 rifles; nine M16 rifles, one M14 rifle; a motorcycle, and backpacks of medicine and food cans.

He said they would release the young rebels to the custody of the San Fernando Social Welfare and Development unit.