• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Five of the 19 fatalities incurred by the New People’s Army after a recent series of armed encounters with Army soldiers in Toboso, Negros Occidental, were key leaders of the dismantled Komiteng Rehiyonal Northern Negros Front, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander disclosed on Tuesday.
Dumosmog also said that there is no confirmation yet if one the slain rebels was a foreign national, stressing that a definite declaration can be made only after the Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives concludes its forensic examinations that might include DNA tests on the bodies, retrieved from the separate encounter sites in the sitios of Sinugmawan and Plaringding, all in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso.
The five top leaders killed in the series of gunbattles were identified by the military as Glenmar Bacosmo, secretary of the Northern Negros Front, with aliases of Pat and Salem; Roger Fabillar, with aliases of Arnel Tapang and Jhong, commanding officer of the Special Operations Group and Sentro de Gravidad of Northern Negros Front; and his deputy, Pedro Bonghanoy, alias Regie; as well as Rene Villarin Sr., a vice squad leader of the same rebel unit that was declared as dismantled three years ago by the Philippine Army.
Fabillar, who has a bounty of P2 million for his arrest or neutralization, has been linked to 36 murder incidents in northern Negros since 2025, with civilians and a policeman as victims.
Dumosmog also reported that the recovered firearms rose to 24, including seven M16 assault rifles, three .30 caliber M1 garand rifles, three M14 rifles, a carbine rifle, M203 grenade launcher, six caliber .45 pistols, three caliber .357 revolvers, two rifle grenades and a fragmentation grenade, 20 hammocks, and backpacks containing personal belongings, as well as food supplies.
With the accomplishments, Dumosmog declared that they were able to wipe out and almost neutralize the leadership of Northern Negros Negros, following the series of encounters. He added that there will definitely be a vacuum of leadership in the Northern Negros Front.
Of the 19 rebel fatalities, four are women. There are reports that some are students of the University of the Philippines.
Dumosmog also announced that the almost 800 evacuees in barangays San Jose and Salamanca in Toboso, and Brgy. Ugtongan in Escalante City, are now free to return to their respective homes, as the areas affected by the gun battles have already been declared safe.
However, the police stations of Toboso and its neighboring local government were beefed by troopers of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion – Negros Island Region, in anticipation of possible attacks from the local insurgents, following the heavy losses they sustained.
Justice has been delivered to the victims of Fabillar, according to a statement issued by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.
“These efforts are directed at ending the NPA atrocities and killings,once and for all, delivering justice to their victims, and ensuring lasting peace in the communities they once terrorized,” said Major General Michael Samson, 3ID commander.
The combat operations – backed by reliable information and executed with precision, Samson added, are part of the Army’s continuing efforts in Negros to neutralize all remnants of the NPA.
“We do not rejoice whenever lives are lost, but we cannot prevent such tragedies, as they are the consequence of taking up arms and fighting against the government. Hence, we reiterate our call to the remaining rebel remnants to return to the folds of law, to avoid unnecessary misfortune and death”, the Army general stressed.*
