By JEN BAYLON
Seven alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter with military troops at Barangay Gatuslao in Negros Occidental’s Candoni town early yesterday morning.
Brigadier General Joey Escanillas, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said the clash started at 3:40 a.m. when troops from the 47th and 15th Infantry Battalions responded to the reported presence of armed individuals in Sitio Cogon.
Escanillas said the military engaged around 10 alleged members of the NPA’s Southwest Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor.
The firefight lasted about 45 minutes, resulting in the deaths of seven suspected rebels whose identities are still being confirmed as of press time.
The remains of a suspected rebel were found 150 meters away from the encounter site.
They sustained wounds in various parts of their bodies that possibly caused their deaths.
Escanillas said there were no casualties on the military side.
Military personnel recovered eight high-powered firearms, including five M16 rifles and two AK-47 rifles, from the encounter site.
Not related to ‘Himamaylan 7’
Meanwhile, Escanillas said the encounter has no connection to the Regional Trial Court’s decision to acquit members of the “Himamaylan 7” — a group of farmers, church workers and community activists tagged as NPA rebels in 2018 — due to a lack of evidence on Monday, November 18.
Escanillas denied that their military action in the encounter was a response to their acquittal.
“I have no knowledge about the case. What happened was just a plain encounter,” Escanillas added.
He emphasized that their ongoing campaign against communist insurgents in Negros is relentless.
“Our fight against the remnants of the NPA in Negros is an ongoing effort,” he stated.
Himamaylan 7 — composed of Pastor Jimie Teves, Jodito Montesino, Jeppy Romano, Jasper Aguyong, Rodelio Sabanal, Eliseo Andres, and Rodrigo Medes — had been arrested and incarcerated for six years.
They have been linked to a deadly ambush in 2018 that killed and wounded Army soldiers along the boundaries of Negros Occidental cities of Himamaylan and Kabankalan.
Clearing operations
Colonel Renairio de Chavez, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO), said personnel from Candoni and Hinoba-an municipal police were deployed to assist the military in the clearing operations after the encounter.
De Chavez said they have also stepped up security operations.
The NOCPPO has been coordinating with local police personnel on the monitoring of the hospitals and health facilities, where wounded rebels may be brought for medical assistance, De Chavez said.
Meanwhile, 3rd Infantry Division commander, Major General Marion Sison, warned remaining NPA members that their violent path would only lead to tragic outcomes.
He urged them to abandon armed struggle in favor of peaceful alternatives./JB, WDJ