By Glazyl Y. Masculino
BACOLOD City – Two suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in three armed battles at Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental from March 25 to 26.
According to Brigadier General Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), one of the two fatalities was already identified but he refused to reveal the name as his remains have yet to be claimed by his family.
Pasaporte said the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) was conducting Community Support Program (CSP) Sustainment Operation at Sitio Tigbao last Thursday when they received reports about the alleged presence of unidentified armed men in the area and at the area of Sitio Lonoy, allegedly extorting food supplies from some residents.
This prompted the 94th IB to conduct a combat operation which resulted in a firefight with around 30 suspected rebels at Sitio Maliko-liko the following day.
Pasaporte said that while the armed men were fleeing, another encounter occurred for about 10 minutes at Sitio Lonoy.
Pasaporte believed there were casualties on the enemy side based on the bloodstains left at the enemies’ position while no soldier was harmed in the incident.
Recovered from the encounter site were a generator, two Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) with wire, two rifle grenades, a bandolier with four M14 magazines loaded with ammunition, three cellular phones, seven jungle packs, three short magazines of M16 loaded with ammunition, an empty long magazine of M16, rice, six Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA flags, and other subversive documents with high intelligence value.
Also recovered from the encounter site were two blasting caps, Ammonium Nitrate and ignition switch which are used in making anti-personnel mines, two sachets of suspected shabu, and a tooter, according to the Army.
Pursuit operations in the area continued until the military troopers figured again in another clash last Saturday – this time with two reported casualties on the enemy side.
Pasaporte said that recovered from the slain rebels were a .45-caliber pistol loaded with three rounds of ammunition, a medical kit, nine rounds of live shotgun ammunition, and subversive documents.
He claimed that the armed persons were the same group which ambushed some personnel of Binalbagan Municipal Police Station in Barangay Bi-ao in the said town last month that left two policemen wounded.
Pasaporte made the assumption based on the Army’s recovered weapons in the series of recent clashes with the rebels.
Last week, a soldier was wounded after engaging in a clash with suspected rebels at Sitio Ulot, Barangay Buenavista in the said city.
With the upcoming anniversary of the NPA on March 29, Pasaporte said that all military troopers were advised to be on alert as they continue to conduct security operations to prevent hostile plans from the enemies.
Despite the recent clashes, Pasaporte assured that the incident is not alarming and that the insurgency situation in the province is manageable.
In his statement, Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said the encounter was a strong indication that the Army in Central and Western Visayas is serious in their campaign against insurgency.
