• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Armed skirmishes erupted anew as Army soldiers pursuing New People’s Army rebels they had encountered last week, caught up with the fleeing rebels on Thursday, in Sitio Dangalon, Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, 94th Infantry Battalion commander, yesterday disclosed that the encounter between his troops and about 15 members of the Sentro De Grabidad Platoon, who are remnants of the Central Negros 2, under the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor, lasted about 20 minutes.
Almonte said the fleeing rebels left behind an M16 rifle assault rifle, an M4 carbine automatic rifle, with two short magazines containing several ammunition, and other personal belongings.
He added no one was hurt from the government side, while fleeing rebels believed to have suffered at least two casualties, based on heavy traces of bloodstains found at the encounter site.
The encounter was a product of pursuit operations conducted by the 94IB against the same rebel group they encountered on May 3, in neighboring Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, that resulted in the death of a rebel identified as Crispin Tingal, of Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, injuries to two soldiers and a civilian, as well as the recovery of an M653 assault rifle.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3rd Infantry Division commander, lauded the lauded the 94IB operating troops of the 94IB and residents of Barangay Hilamonan for their collaborative effort that resulted in successful combat operations that yielded guns and other war materials.
“As I have always said, they can run, but they cannot hide, for we have the support of the Negrenses, who are already fed up with their deceptions and atrocities,” Sison said.
He added that the people’s support is their motivation to sustain operations against remnants of the communist terrorist group.*
