• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Families of four New People’s Army rebels who recently died in a gun battle with Army soldiers in Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, have availed of burial and financial assistance from the City Task Force-ELCAC, a statement from the 62nd Infantry Battalion said.
The four slain rebels were identified by their respective families and former comrades as Rolly Beñero, alias “Ka Marnie/Ragus”; Cristito Nilles Jr. aka “Chris”; Jury Babor alias “Jay-R”; and Toning Babor, alias “Ka Juko”; all residents of Sitio Banderahan, Brgy Trinidad, Guihulngan City.
Firearms recovered from the encounter site composed of one M4 assault rifle, three M16 armalite rifles, a caliber .30 Springfield Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), three caliber .45 pistols, assorted ammuniton, four rifle grenades, a hand grenade, and an improvised anti-personnel mine with detonating cord, among other war materials.
The captured rebels were only identified through their aliases, Hans and Makoy, both members of Central Negros 1 under Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
Aside from food packs, burial and financial assistance, the Guihulngan TF-ELCAC also facilitated the transportation of the cadavers to their respective homes in Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3rd Infantry Division commander, said “I have forewarned you numerous times that your only choice is to surrender,” apparently referring to the NPA remnants.
“We can be friends, but if you continue espousing terrorism, death will always come to your doorstep. I will be your worst nightmare of the rest of your lives,” Sison added.
Five rebels also died in an encounter on Saturday in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, and another was killed in separate gun battle in Cauayan, the following day.*
