By Jennifer P. Rendon
The plan to again attack a hydro-energy plant based in Igbaras town was prevented following an encounter between the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion and suspected New People’s Army.
No one was injured on the part of state operatives following the armed clash that happened around 2 p.m. of June 6, 2020 at Barangay Curocuan, Igbaras, Iloilo.
Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commanding officer, said they received a report from residents about the presence of suspected NPA members in the area.
“Based on the reports we got, they have plans to sabotage the equipment and facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation (CPEC) based in Igbaras,” Batara said.
The rebels were believed to be members of the Southern Front of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay led by a certain Melgar Besmanos.
Batara accused the group of extorting and killing innocent civilians.
Military operatives recovered from the site an M16 Armalite rifle, various ammunition and magazines, a bandolier, an NPA flag, medical supplies, food packs, assorted propaganda materials, and other personal items.
Batara said some of the rebels may have been wounded due to blood stains in their withdrawal route.
Batara said the only way for the rebels to freely roam the area and neighboring towns is if they surrender.
In November 2018, an encounter also happened between the 61st IB and around 10 armed men.
Apart from their fallen comrade, the NPA also left an improvised explosive device (IED) and a bandolier of 5.56m.
Military troops also recovered three gallons of gasoline near the encounter site.
The Army believed that they CPP-NPA planned to use the gasoline to burn the facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation.
On August 2018, a pickup vehicle ferrying CPEC employees and 61IB personnel was ambushed by rebels, wounding one of the employees of the company.
In 2015, the group allegedly torched several heavy equipment of the company used to construct a mini-hydro project in the same barangay.
