• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A brief armed encounter on Thursday in Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City, may have pre-empted the extortion activities of remnants of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, following the injury of its finance officer, 1Lt. Dan Carlo Somoza, spokesman of the 79th Infantry Battalion, disclosed yesterday.
In a military report, soldiers of the 79IB encountered about three remnants of the dismantled guerilla front in Brgy. Caduhaan, Cadiz City, which led to a gunbattle and the injury of a rebel leader, who was able to escape captivity.
Somoza disclosed that 79IB troopers recovered extortion letters addressed to small planters and businessmen, personal belongings, including cellular phones, and subversive documents, aside from assorted empty shells of firearms.
He added the ongoing military operations are still underway, in coordination with the Philippine National Police, as they believe that the injured finance officer of the dismantled guerilla front and his two companions, are still hiding in the area.
Based on their assessments, Somoza said that the rebel remnants splintered into small groups to avoid detection, and for wider coverage of their extortion activities.
He raised the possibility that the rebel remnants may also be targeting candidates for the May 12 elections.
In a statement issued by the 303rd Infantry Brigade, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, its commander, urged political aspirants to resist the “Permit to Campaign” and “Permit to Win” schemes of rebel remnants in Negros Occidental.
Dumosmog emphasized that elections should be fair and allow citizens to freely choose the candidates, without any external influence.*
