By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – An alleged high-ranking official of the New People’s Army (NPA) and three others were killed in a clash with police and Army troopers at Hacienda Builder, Barangay San Pablo, Manapla, Negros Occidental yesterday.
Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), identified one of the fatalities as Marilyn Badayos alias “Monet”, an alleged former secretary of South East Front and currently the finance officer of the North Negros Front (NNF).
The Army also later identified three other casualties as Ronilo Desabille alias “Wowie,” an alleged member of the Propaganda Education Committee of the NNF, Rody Carbajosa alias “Brod,” finance logistic officer of Sentro de Gravidad (SDG) platoon of NNF, and Rufino Bocaval, a member assigned on taxation and finance of NNF.
They were believed to be remnants of the NNF that was already dismantled by the Army early this year.
The clash happened more than two weeks ago after police clashed with suspected rebels at Barangay Tabu, Ilog, Negros Occidental on September 14 that also claimed the lives of four rebels.
Captain Kim Apitong, officer-in-charge of Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) of 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said combined police and military units launched a Joint Enhanced Military and Police Operation (JEMPO) to validate report of an alleged extortion activity in Barangay San Pablo.
The operation then led to a firefight with unidentified armed men around 2 a.m.
The state units involved were the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (Nocpmfc), 605th Mobile Company, Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB)-6, 64th Philippine National Police-Special Action Force, and Manapla Police Station.
The firefight lasted for about an hour, with no injuries reported on the government side and the civilians.
Authorities recovered from the encounter site a .45 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, two grenades, subversive documents, cellular phones, and flash drives.
Pasaporte said Badayos was previously arrested in Negros Oriental in 2016 after she was linked to an ambush in the province that killed a soldier.
Badayos was also linked to the ambush in Candoni, Negros Occidental in 2016 that resulted in the killing of two police officers.
She was also arrested here in 2011 for her alleged involvement in the killing of an Army Scout Ranger, but she was later released on bail.
Also, Badayos has a standing arrest warrant for attempted murder, upon the verification of the local police.
Pasaporte said these rebels were also believed to be the same group of armed men who were encountered by soldiers in Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Silay City, Negros Occidental on August 20, 2021 that resulted in the death of one soldier and two rebels, including a high-ranking female official of the NNF – Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor.
Lieutenant Colonel J-jay Javines, 79th IB commander, said the recent encounter has significantly shaken the weakening organization of the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) in Negros.
“It’s sad that more lives were lost fighting for a senseless cause,” Javines said, adding that this could have been prevented if they heeded the call for them to surrender and return to the folds of the law.
He noted that armed struggle is not the key, but a big hindrance for attaining peace and development.
For his part, Major General Benedict Arevalo, 3ID commander, said the Army has thwarted one of the alleged major extortion activities of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA-Terrorist (CNT) in Negros Island.
Arevalo said the four casualties in Manapla clash were the alleged “brains of the extortion scheme” in the area.
They use the extorted resources to fund the armed CNT’s terroristic activities both in the countryside and urban areas, he added.
Meanwhile, the remains of the four casualties were turned over to proper authorities for disposition.
