• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Army soldiers seized assorted guns from a New People’s Army hideout that they overran, following an encounter on December 13 in Sitio Tauma, Barangay Bandila, Toboso, Negros Occidental.
Prior to the seizure of the rebel lair, troopers of the 79th Infantry Battalion encountered about seven remnants of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, reportedly led Roger Favillar, who has the aliases of Arnel Tapang, Jhong Nono.
Favillar, who is facing a string of murder cases in court, has a P1 million bounty for his arrest.
The firefight, which lasted about 12 minutes, prompted the rebel remnants to scamper in various directions, leaving behind traces of bloodstains at their abandoned hideout.
While scouring the encounter site, Army soldiers also recovered an M16 assault rifle, a caliber .38 revolver, three magazines for AK47 assault rifle and caliber .45 pistol, assorted ammunition, two backpacks, assorted medical paraphernalia and medicine, personal belongings, food supplies, and subversive documents.
No injuries were reported among the Army soldiers involved.
The pursuit operations of 79IB soldiers, who were joined by troopers of the PNP Special Action Force and 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company, also led to the arrest of alias Pinky, a cohort of Favillar, on Dec. 14 in Sitio Malig-on, Brgy. Bandila, Toboso.
Pinky, an alleged cadre of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor, has a pending arrest warrant for attempted murder. She was denied bail by the San Carlos Regional Trial Court Branch 69.
On the other hand, an alleged ranking member of the New People’s Army in Negros Island, who is facing two murder charges, was arrested operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group last week in Cebu City.
He was only identified by the CIDG as a certain “Marlo,” head of Squad 1, Sandatahang Unit Pampropaganda of the CPP-NPA operating in Negros Island.*
