• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected New People’s Army rebel yesterday died in renewed armed skirmishes with Army soldiers in Sitio Pangi, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The unidentified slain NPA member was left behind at the encounter site by his fleeing comrades, who scampered in various directions, according to Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, 94th Infantry Battalion commander.
Almonte said the first encounter took place at about 7:30 a.m. in the area, after Army soldiers responded to a tip by a disgruntled NPA member on the presence of his former comrades who were extorting food from villagers.
He added that two backpacks containing extortion letters and personal belongings were left behind by about 10 NPA members, who retreated in a northerly direction of the sitio.
Pursuing Army troops then clashed with fleeing rebels about two kilometers from the first encounter site. It was followed by another gunbattle, which lasted about 10 minutes before the disoriented NPA members fled in separate directions, Almonte said.
While government troops were scouring the two encounter sites, they recovered the cadaver of the still unidentified NPA member, as well as an M4A1 automatic assault rifle with a magazine containing ammunition, he further said.
The series of encounters also led to the temporary displacement of several families, who are now staying at the covered court of Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, where their basic needs are being attended to by the City Social Welfare and Development Office.*
