By Glazyl M. Jopson
BACOLOD CITY—The Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) claimed it thwarted the New People’s Army’s (NPA) attempts to regroup and launch offensives in northern Negros Occidental, disrupting its recruitment and extortion activities.
“This is crucial since it disrupts their momentum and preparations,” Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, 79th IB commander, said in a statement.
Calaoagan reaffirmed that efforts to track down the remaining members of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor (KR-NCBS) will continue to prevent extortion and terror in communities.
On March 18, 79th IB troops clashed with suspected NPA rebels in Sitio Bairan, Barangay General Luna, Toboso, Negros Occidental, wounding three soldiers and displacing more than 400 individuals from over 120 families.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Councilor Richard Jaojoco said the military had given clearance for displaced residents to return home.
Classes at all levels in Barangay General Luna and Tabun-ac Elementary School in Barangay Tabun-ac will resume on March 21.
Meanwhile, the 79th IB is urging businesses, local leaders, and communities to reject any form of NPA extortion and report suspicious activities. This call follows the March 8 deaths of two suspected NPA leaders in an encounter in Barangay Caduha-an, Cadiz City.
One of the slain NPA leaders was allegedly responsible for signing extortion letters and death threats under the alias “Armando Magbanua” of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command of Negros Island.
For decades, the name “Armando Magbanua” has been associated with fear and coercion among businesses, planters, contractors, and civilians across the Visayas, according to the 79th IB.
However, intelligence reports and testimonies from former rebels indicate that “Armando Magbanua” is not a single person but a pseudonym used by the rebel group’s finance officer for extortion activities.
Calaoagan said dismantling KR-NCBS’s extortion network is a significant victory for peace and security in the region.
“Without funds and leaders, their operations crumble, and the communities they once terrorized can finally thrive without fear,” he said.
Calaoagan emphasized that this success reflects the Army’s commitment to dismantling NPA influence in Negros.
With stronger cooperation between the military, local government units, and civilians, the fall of the NPA’s financial networks signals a more secure future for Negros and the entire Visayas region, he said.
The Army has turned over the remains of the two alleged high-ranking NPA officers to their families.
