The family of the slain New People’s Army (NPA) fighter in Negros Occidental claimed his body yesterday, a day after he and his comrades encountered troops of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Binalbagan town’s Barangay Amontay.

The 62IB identified the fatality as Braulio “Bruno” Tobalado, a member of Central Negros Front 1, as confirmed by a former comrade who has surrendered and is now a peace advocate of the Army.

After the Binalbagan encounter, troops of the 94th Infantry Battalion also clashed with a group of NPA fighters from Central Negros Front 2 yesterday morning, which wounded one of them in the adjacent Himamaylan City’s Barangay Buenavista.

Soldiers saw the fleeing suspected rebels drag their wounded comrade, according to a report from the 3rd Infantry Division (ID).

In a statement, Major General Marion Sison, 3ID commander, acknowledged the vigilance of the locals in providing information to the soldiers, who responded quickly and thwarted the extortion activities of the NPA.

“This once again proves that when government forces and the people unite and work together, it becomes easier to suppress the terroristic actions of the communist-terrorist group,” he added.

After the skirmish on Wednesday, December 6, 62IB troops recovered a Garand rifle and a caliber .45 pistol, while soldiers of 94IB found an M16 rifle with long and short magazines. (PNA)