• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected New People’s Army rebel died, while two firearms were recovered in renewed armed clashes between combined forces of Army and police troopers and remnants of the Central Negros 1 (CN1) on April 4 in Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. J Jay Javines, 3rd Infantry Division Civil Military Operations officer, disclosed that the first encounter ensued at about 5:35 a.m. yesterday, after the 62nd Infantry Battalion and 2nd Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company were tipped off on the presence of about five NPA rebels in the area.
Javines said the firefight, which lasted several minutes, led to the death of one of the five NPA rebels, who was left behind by his fleeing comrades.
Aside from the cadaver of the slain rebel, whose identity has yet to be established by the authorities, he also reported that government troopers also recovered a KG9 automatic pistol with a magazine containing ammunition, a rifle grenade ammunition, three magazines of 5.56mm rifle, two backpacks, subversive documents, and assorted medical paraphernalia.
Almost three hours after the first encounter, he said pursuing government troopers were able to catch up with fleeing rebels, which led to another encounter that resulted in the recovery of a caliber .38 revolver.
No 62IB and 2nd NOCMFC troopers were injured, Javines said.
Brgy. Quintin Remo in Moises Padilla has been previously considered as the bailiwick of CN 1, which is under the supervision of Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
Both the CN1 and CN2 guerilla units were declared as dismantled by the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.*
