BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
About 1,000 residents recently displaced by a series of gun battles, have returned to their respective communities in the hinterlands of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, disclosed Mayor Raymund Tongson.
However, there are still 1,000 persons remaining in evacuation centers, awaiting the go signal from the military for them to return to their residences, Tongson said.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said that clearing operations are still ongoing in sitios Sig-ang, Medel and Campayas, all in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City.
The six gun battles that ensued in the three hinterland sitios of barangay Carabalan claimed the lives of NPA regional commander Romeo Nanta and two Army soldiers, as well as resulted in injuries to six other soldiers.
Tongson earlier clarified that only about 3,500 residents were displaced by the encounters, and that the 18,000 figure given by the Department of Social Welfare and Development are the total affected residents.
Human rights alliance Karapatan issued a statement condemning what it reported humanitarian crisis and human rights violations in Himamaylan town, as a result of continuing military operations since October 6.*
