• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Two suspected New People’s Army rebels died in renewed armed clashes with Army soldiers on Thursday in Sitio Pisok, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said that that the two slain rebels, including a woman, were among the remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 2 of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/ Siquijor.
Edralin further said the Army troops who engaged with the remnants of the dismantled NPA Central Negros 2, also recovered two high powered firearms at the encounter site.
Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3rd Infantry Division Civil Military Operations officer, disclosed that 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers responded to reports of civilians on the presence of about five armed rebels in their community, which led to a fire fight that went on for almost five minutes.
He added that the cadavers of two NPA rebels were left behind by their fleeing comrades at the encounter site, where Army soldiers recovered two high powered firearms, including M14 and M16 assault rifles with magazines containing ammunition, among other war materials and personal belongings placed in a backpack.
No soldiers of the 94IB were hurt, and they are still in pursuit of the fleeing rebels, according to Javines.
The identities of the two suspected NPA rebels have yet to be determined by the Philippine Army, as of press time.
On the other hand, Army soldiers have recently seized a cache of firearms and explosives from an abandoned New People’s Army lair in Sitio Daan Barrio, Brgy. Damutan, Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.
While on combat operations, soldiers of the 15th Infantry Battalion were informed of the existence of an abandoned hideout of the remnants of the dismantled NPA South West Front.
The discovery of the rebel lair led to the recovery of an anti-personnel landmine, a Squibman type 12-gauge shotgun with nine ammunition, a caliber .38 revolver and its accessories, and assorted medical equipment, among other items.*
