Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) chairman Benito Tiamzon, his wife Wilma, the CPP secretary general, and eight others were reported to have perished as the boat they were said to be on exploded near Catbalogan on Monday, an initial report said.

Major General Edgardo de Leon, the JTF Storm Commander, confirmed the incident in a statement. He added the identities of those on board the motorized boat are still being verified.

Earlier, there were reports that the Tiamzons were among the 10 passengers of the motorized boat that exploded and sunk during the battle with the military.

A JTF Storm statement said as the soldier on the megaphone was about to finish his call for the motorized boat to submit to inspection, ''passengers from the motorized boat fired shots towards the government troops.''

''During the gunfight, for reasons still being determined, the hostile boat suddenly exploded,'' the JTF Storm statement said. DMS