ZAMBOANGA CITY, 29 August 2003 — Communist guerrillas yesterday attacked an army patrol base and seized 15 weapons after overpowering militia men in Bukidnon province in Mindanao, the military said.

The rebels belonging to the Communist Party’s military wing, New People’s Army (NPA), overran the military base in the village of Concepcion in the outskirts of Valencia City shortly before 9 a.m., Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Lt. Col. Daniel Lucero said late yesterday.

“About 200 communist-terrorists raided the patrol base of Bravo Company, of the 8th Infantry Battalion, manned by militias and carted away 15 high-powered firearms,” Lucero told reporters.

He said troops were pursuing the rebels in the province. He did no say how many militias were guarding the patrol base or if there were firefight between the two groups. “We are awaiting progress reports,” he said.

The military said another NPA rebel was killed and two soldiers wounded in a clash in Zamboanga del Sur province on Wednesday. Troops and rebels clashed in the village of Bolinsong in Kumalarang town. Soldiers, from the 51st Infantry Battalion, recovered two automatic rifles left behind by fleeing rebels.

An NPA spokesman in Mindanao had earlier claimed that about a dozen disgruntled government soldiers and militias have defected to their side in the province of Agusan del Sur.

“They are disgruntled by the corruption in the government and they have joined the NPA,” Ka Ores told the Radio Mindanao Network (RMN).

The military said only two soldiers Pfcs. Boboy Abduhasad and Pfc. Edward Quirante have defected to the rebels.

Other reports said the soldiers were allegedly involved in the illegal selling of weapons to NPA rebels.

The attack in Bukidnon came the same time that AFP chief Gen. Narciso Abaya ordered troops to intensify the hunt for NPA rebels, blamed for the series of attacks on civilian and government targets.

“There is an ongoing operation against the terrorists. They should surrender because sooner or later we will get them,” Abaya told reporters earlier yesterday.

A spokesman of the communist National Democratic Front (NDF), George Madlos, urged other disgruntled government soldiers to join the NPA. “The movement is sincere to you. To those who wish to serve the interest of the people outside the AFP service, the NPA welcome you to its folds,” Madlos said in a statement.

NPA guerrillas also hijacked a commuter bus in Zamboanga del Sur’s Tigbao town early this week and briefly held about 20 passengers before burning the vehicle, the military said.