By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Elements of the Philippines Army 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) recently clashed with New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents at Sitio Samac Gamay, Barangay Nalundan in Bindoy, Negros Oriental. Reports described the enemy combatants as “remnant” forces.
11IB commander, Lt. Colonel Ramir Redosendo, said their troops were conducting combat operations in the area when they were tipped off by local residents who reportedly spotted an undetermined number of NPA rebels in the area.
Soldiers immediately visited the area where the rebels were supposedly spotted and a gun battle ensued for at least an hour until the insurgents were forced to flee.
Redosendo said no one was hurt among government forces, but it remains unclear it the rebels suffered casualties.
The battalion commander pointed out his troops are still scouring the encounter site to recover any items left behind.
He added, even though his unit had just returned from a deployment to Zamboanga City, they immediately initiated an operation to pursue the rebels.
302nd Infantry Brigade commander, Brigadier General Ignacio Madriaga, meanwhile, said the rebels should begin thinking twice as local residents are no longer afraid of their presence and fed up with their “lies and selfish ideology.”
“We will continue to put pressure to these terrorists and let them feel that Negros Oriental has no place for them,” he added./DGB, WDJ