By Jennifer P. Rendon
Clashes with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) prevented the latter to launch attacks on vital installations and other key economic points.
The recent encounter that happened in Leon (not Igbaras as earlier reported) thwarted the NPA’s plan to attack government projects in the area.
Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the recovery of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) is a manifestation that the rebels have been planning to sow terror.
“The 3rd Infantry Division will never allow the communists terrorist CPP NPA to regain grounds in Panay Island. Our efforts in the past months have been very effective in identifying their whereabouts, thus giving us the upperhand in our military operations,” Pancito said.
He also assured Panayanons that the Philippine Army is on top of the situation.
“They may be into something that may shake the peace and order, but the Army troopers will work double-time so that we can immediately thwart their plan to sow terror,” he said.
Pancito said the recent encounter in Leon town is all because of the Army’s relentless pursuit operations against their group.
It can be remembered that state troopers encountered the very same group on December 26 last year in Miag-ao.
“While their cowardice is evident in how they evade our soldiers, we are sure that the more focused operations in the coming days will effectively cripple the NPAs in Panay Island,” he said.
In line with the recent encounter, the 3rd ID spokesman could only hope that “the NPA fighters quickly realize that God may have just given them the chance to repent and turn themselves to the government.”
“As such, today is the right time to surrender as the next day may turn out not in their favor anymore as they suffer death fighting a lost cause,” he said.
Since 2020, Pancito said they have been tracking them through our intensive intelligence gathering and the immediate processing of information from the populace themselves.
“Indeed, our kababayan’s role in eradicating insurgency is loudly commended by the army. Indeed we can win over the NPAs if the people themselves will bring in the information on the presence of these NPAs,” he said.
No one was injured from the government troops following an encounter between members of the 61st Infantry Battalion and suspected members of the New People’s Army in Leon, Iloilo.
The soldiers were on combat operations when the armed clash happened between them and around 30 armed rebels at about 2:50 p.m. of January 24, 2020 at Sitio Tabionan, Barangay Bucari.
The firefight lasted for 20 minutes with NPA members withdrawing to different directions.
While there was no body count, operating troops noted traces of blood on the rebels’ escape routes.
Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commander, said the group was led by Melgar Besmanos alias Mar, vice platoon leader of Sibat (SYP) Platoon of the NPA’s Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay under Nahum Camariosa alias Bebong.
The operating troops recovered two anti-personnel land mines, a detonator, wirings, subversive documents, and several cooking utensils.
Batara believed that it could have been the NPA’s temporary harboring area.
“We thank the populace for their timely information. Naunahan natin ang kalaban,” he said.
The Besmanos-led group was also the same suspect behind the attempt to attack a hydro-energy plant based in Igbaras town.
But the plan was thwarted after they went into an armed encounter with 61st IB troops around 2 p.m. of June 6, 2020 at Barangay Curocuan, Igbaras, Iloilo.
The group allegedly planned to sabotage the equipment and facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation (CPEC) based in Igbaras.
During the said encounter, military operatives recovered an M16 Armalite rifle, various ammunition and magazines, a bandolier, an NPA flag, medical supplies, food packs, assorted propaganda materials, and other personal items.
On November 2018, an encounter also happened between the 61st IB and around 10 armed men.
Aside from their fallen comrade, the NPA also left an improvised explosive device (IED) and a bandolier of 5.56m.
Military troops recovered three gallons of gasoline near the encounter site.
The Army believed that the CPP-NPA planned to utilize it to set on fire the facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation.
It can be noted that on August 2018, a pickup vehicle ferrying CPEC employees and 61IB personnel was ambushed by the CPP-NPA terrorists wounding one of the employees of the company.
In 2015, the terrorist group torched several heavy equipment of the said company used to construct mini-hydro project in the same barangay.
