By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – A series of encounters between the military and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) were reported in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental last Saturday.
Major Cenon Pancito III, spokesperson of Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said the clash started at the boundaries of Sitio Punong and Sitio Batong-Buang, Barangay Trinidad around 1PM between the personnel of the 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) and 20 unidentified armed men.
It was followed by another encounter at the said area between the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) and the same armed men around 1:20PM.
After 20 minutes, another firefight happened between the 62nd IB and 20 other armed men at Sitio Batong-Buang, Barangay Sandayao.
The last clash happened around 4:30PM in the same vicinity, with the other unit of 62nd IB.
Pancito said four encounters happened that day, and pursuit operation is ongoing against the armed men.
A 4-minute video was posted by a netizen on Facebook that day, showing the mountainous part of a barangay, where a series of gunshots and explosions were heard.
The Army has yet to provide further details on the clash.
