By CESAR JOLITO III
A six-year-old boy was killed after being hit by a stray bullet during a firefight between government troops and suspected members of the communist terrorist group (CTG) at Barangay Quintin Remo in Negros Occidental’s Moises Padilla town on Monday morning, October 28.
Authorities said the boy was struck in the head by a stray bullet and died instantly.
The victim was inside his house — about 300 meters from the encounter site in Sitio Matil-e — when he died.
According to Lt. Colonel Divar Crisostomo, 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) acting commanding officer, based on the trajectory and the army’s fire discipline, the bullet likely came from the rebels, whose shots were indiscriminate compared to the soldiers’ controlled fire.
The military coordinated with the local government unit and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to assist the child’s family and facilitate the proper handling and burial of the remains.
The encounter site is remote and sparsely populated, though a few houses are located nearby.
Crisostomo said the clash broke out around 9:00 a.m. on Monday, after soldiers responded to reports from a concerned citizen regarding the presence of armed men allegedly involved in extortion and intimidation activities in the area.
Troops immediately conducted a security operation, resulting in a 10- to 30-minute exchange of gunfire with about 20 insurgents believed to be part of the Central Negros 1 Front.
Crisostomo said no one from the government side was injured, but bloodstains were found at the site, suggesting that some of the rebels were wounded.
Soldiers also reportedly saw the armed group carrying an injured comrade while retreating.
Hot pursuit operations continue as government forces track down the fleeing rebels.
Police heighten security
The Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region reported that heightened security and coordination measures were immediately implemented following the armed clash between the 62IB and CTG members in Barangay Quintin Remo.
Upon receiving the report, the Moises Padilla Municipal Police Station was directed to prepare an initial operational report and coordinate with Scene of the Crime Operatives for a possible crime scene investigation.
The station was also instructed to ensure close coordination with the Army troops and submit progress reports in collaboration with the 62IB.
To ensure readiness, field commanders were ordered to deploy a section of personnel on standby for reinforcement and coordinate with intelligence operatives of the 62IB for continuous monitoring./CJ, WDJ