BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Six members of the dismantled South East Front squad unit, under the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros/Cebu have surrendered to the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 7 in Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental and turned over four unlicensed firearms.
PLt. Col. Ronan Claravall, RMFB 7 commander, disclosed that the six rebels surrendered a Colt AR-15 assault rifle, an improvised M16 automatic rifle, and two caliber .45 pistols.
The surrender of six NPA combatants, whose identities were withheld for security reasons, was facilitated by the 705th Mobile Company led by PLt. Donicko Bagtas Angeles, in coordination with other police intelligence units, Santa Catalina Police Station and 11th Infantry Battalion.
This was after an intelligence report received by RMFB 7 that the six remnants of the South East Front, locally known as the Rachel Mae Palang Command, had plans to abandon the armed struggle, Claravall said.
On the other hand, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday dismissed as a nuisance the firing of guns by rebels, about 500 meters from the position of 2nd Mobile Force Company of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office in Brgy. Trinidad, Guihulngan City, at around past midnight yesterday.
No one was reported hurt during the firing incident.
On the other hand, the cadavers of two NPA rebels killed in an encounter in Brgy. Buenavista, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, were claimed by their respective families on October 31, Pasaporte said.
The slain rebels, who were discovered about 300 meters from the encounter site, were identified by the 62nd Infantry Battalion as Marlon Albino, alias Max, and Michael Azuncio, alias Raymund, both members of the Sentro De Grabidad Platoon of Central Negros 1 under KR-NCBS.
Pasaporte said the discovery of their bodies were made on Oct. 30 and 31, respectively, after 62IB soldiers followed heavy traces of bloodstains along the rebels’ withdrawal routes.
Recovered from the encounter site were a 12-gauge long barrel shotgun, a caliber .45 pistol, one hand grenade, two Baofeng communication radios, two backpacks containing personal belongings and subversive documents.*
