• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected member of the New People’s Army was killed in an armed encounter on Thursday at Sitio Guibawan in Barangay Bucalan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.
Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade, reported that three encounters ensued between soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion and an estimated 10 remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 1 guerilla front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal – Negros.
Dumosmog identified the rebel casualty as Jomarie Pañe alias “Yulo,” a remnant of the Central Negros 1-KR Negros.
Aside from the cadaver of Pane, who was left behind by his fleeing comrades at the encounter site, Army soldiers also recovered an M16 assault rifle.
On April 21, soldiers of the 62IB also encountered about 10 suspected NPA members in Sitio Palaming, Barangay Binalbagan, Canlaon City.
Dumosmog reported that an M16 rifle was recovered from that encounter, while bloodstains were discovered along the rebel withdrawal area.
No Army soldiers were hurt in the two separate gunbattles, he added.*
