By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a clash with military troopers at Purok Yuring, Sitio Dash 7, Barangay Bulwangan, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental last Saturday.
The Army identified the fatalities as a certain “Micheal/Nonoy,” and a certain “Ken-Ken.”
Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said the 15th Infantry Battalion (IB) engaged in a 40-minute firefight against unidentified armed men, when the government forces acted on the report of the alleged presence of NPA in the area.
The soldiers were conducting Community Support Program (CSP) sustainment operations at the said town prior to the said report, Pancito said. No casualties were reported on the part of the government forces.
Recovered by soldiers from the encounter site were two .45 caliber pistols with magazines and ammunition, extortion letters, subversive documents, cellular phones, and other personal belongings.
Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Cariño, 15th IB commander, extended their condolences to the bereaved families of the two casualties, as they assured their decent burial and assistance with the help of the local government.
Cariño also thanked the village residents for giving timely and accurate information on the presence of the suspected NPAs in their locality, adding that the encounter was a clear result of the collaborative efforts made by the government and the community.
It manifested the success and gains of our Community Support Programs, Cariño also said.
