• GILBERT P. BAYORAN

A suspected temporary camp of the New People’s Army was overrun on Saturday by Army soldiers, following a gunbattle at Sitio Tunap, Brgy. San Jose, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. Michael Cuarteros, 15th Infantry Battalion commander, reported that the firefight lasted about 10 minutes, and an estimated 15 rebels vacated their hideout, and left behind a .45 caliber pistol, a homemade 12-gauge shotgun, a cellular phone, assorted medical paraphernalia, a transistor radio, 200m electrical wire, a jungle pack, a solar panel, a flashlight, hammocks, a poncho tent, two pairs rain boots, and subversive documents.
While no Army soldiers were injured, Cuarteros reported the discovery of bloodstains, which indicated that some of the fleeing rebels may have been injured in the gunbattle.
The Army soldiers utilized K9 dogs to track down the fleeing rebels.
The encounter also triggered the evacuation of 47 families, composed of 181 individuals, who were able to return yesterday to their respective homes, as facilitated by the Sipalay City government and 15IB.*