Families claim remains of Caraga clash victims

Families of two men killed in an armed encounter between government troops and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members arrived in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, on Monday to claim their remains. One of the deceased was identified as Elvira Lamanilao, a former staff member of Mayor Deo Manpatilan Jr., who is now a board member of the Agusan del Sur provincial government. The families of both victims arrived to identify and claim the remains of their loved ones. The clash is one of the sporadic armed encounters between the Philippine military and the NPA, a communist rebel group that has been waging an insurgency for decades. The incident underscores the persistent security challenges in parts of the Philippines related to the ongoing conflict with communist insurgents.