• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division yesterday called on remnants of the New People’s Army in Negros and Panay to avail of the ongoing government amnesty program, as five more of their comrades died in series of gunbattles on August 8 in Calinog town of Iloilo.
A statement issued by the 3rd Infantry Division said that the series of encounters, which involved 12th and 82nd Infantry Battalion soldiers and a group of rebels, led to the deaths of five members of the Regional Strike Force of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Panay and KR Panay Central Front.
Two M16 assault rifles with ammunition, a 40mm grenade launcher, an anti-personnel mine, among other war materials, were recovered by Army soldiers.
On Aug. 5 and 7, two other rebels were killed in two encounters in Calinog and Lambunao towns of Iloilo.
Last week, three suspected rebels also died in series of encounters with 15th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Cauayan and Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3ID commander, said “these decisive combat operations will continue until we dismantle the last remaining guerilla front of the NPA in Panay.”
Dismantling KR Panay Central Front is part of our effort to create a zone of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) for all Panaynons, Sison said.
Negros Island has already been placed in a status of SIPS, following the dismantling of five NPA guerilla fronts.*
