By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – The Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) seized two high-powered firearms and grenades following two armed encounters with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental last Friday.
According to the Army, the first encounter happened around 9 a.m. at Purok 3, Sitio Cunalom, Barangay Carabalan while soldiers were responding to reports from the residents regarding the NPA’s alleged harassment and extortion.
Three anti-personnel mines reportedly exploded as the military troopers approached the alleged NPA hideout. The firefight lasted for 10 minutes.
Later in the afternoon, the soldiers again clashed with suspected rebels at Sitio Lanap, Barangay Buenavista around 2:30 p.m.
Authorities recovered from the site an M14 rifle, an M16 rifle, two hand grenades, assorted ammunition, communication equipment, subversive documents, and other war items.
No soldier was hurt in the two encounters.
Brigadier General Leonardo Peña, 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde) commander, commended the residents for reporting the NPA presence in their community.
For his part, Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of 3rd Infantry Division (ID), in a statement, said the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) in Negros wants to project that they are still a force to reckon with by using anti-personnel mines to inflict greater damage.
“This action is a clear violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL),” he added.
Meanwhile, more farmer groups in Barangay E. Lopez, Silay City denounced the violence and atrocities committed by alleged CTGs during a peace rally last Saturday.
Members of Hacienda Cumabat Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (HACUARBA); Hacienda Mariano–D Farmers and Farm Workers Association (HAMADFFWA); Hacienda Vista Aligre Farmers and Farm Workers Association (HAVAFFWA); and Hacienda Gretchen Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (HAGARBA) marched along the thoroughfares of their barangay carrying placards bearing messages that earnestly called on the communist insurgents to stop terrorism in their communities while voicing out their sentiments and resistance against the terrorist group.
They then took their Oath of Allegiance to the government before village chief Memia Gallego.
Replica flags of the Communist Party of the Philippines -NPA (CPP-NPA) were also burned to show that CNTs are not welcome in their villages.
In his message, Mr. Gilbert Bautista, former member of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) but now chairman of HAVAFFWA, thanked the Army for helping their association avail the programs of the government.
Bautista urged his fellow farmers to avoid being used again by the CTGs and its allied organizations.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel J-jay Javines, 79th IB commander, said the pledge to withdraw their support from the armed group is already a bold step towards ending insurgency.
