• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected New People’s Army rebel died in an encounter on July 29, with Army soldiers at Purok 5 in Brgy. Basak, Cauayan, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3rd Infantry Division spokesperson, disclosed on Tuesday that the encounter between 15th Infantry Battalion soldiers and remnants of the New People’s Army also led to the recovery of two fragmentation grenades and a 12-gauge shotgun.
The identity of the slain rebel has not been established as of press time, while no Army soldiers involved in the gunbattle were hurt.
Meanwhile, 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers unearthed and recovered a cache of high powered firearms, composed of two M14 assault rifles, an M1 garand rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun with ammunition in Brgy. Pinowayan, Salvador Benedicto, based on the information relayed to them by a former rebel who last week surrendered to the authorities.*
