By CESAR JOLITO III
Authorities debunked social media posts claiming that government troops suffered casualties during an armed encounter at Barangay Lalong in Negros Occidental’s Calatrava town on Sunday, June 14.
In separate statements, the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – NIR clarified that all members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), as well as civilian government officials involved in the clash, are safe and accounted for following the gunfire in Sitio Kabalagnan.
According to PRO-NIR, personnel of the 1st Platoon, 2nd Maneuver Company allegedly encountered suspected members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) while rendering security assistance.
The police said official reports confirmed that no government personnel sustained injuries or casualties during the incident.
Meanwhile, DILG-NIR said the encounter lasted approximately 30 minutes after alleged CTG members opened fire on personnel of the 2nd Mobile Platoon of RMFB-NIR.
The team was escorting Calatrava municipal local government operations officer Genevive Jadulos and Punong Barangay Roel Llagono following a local governance lecture in the area.
The agency assured the public that Jadulos, Llagono and all RMFB-NIR personnel involved in the operation were unharmed.
PRO-NIR also expressed concern over the spread of unverified information on social media, saying such posts create unnecessary public alarm, cause emotional distress to the families of uniformed personnel, and may disrupt legitimate law enforcement and security operations.
The police regional office said it will coordinate with the Regional Anti-Cybercrime Unit – NIR to identify the individuals responsible for creating and managing the social media page that published the false report.
It added that the incident will also be reported to Facebook for possible action under the platform’s policies against misinformation.
Authorities are likewise exploring available legal remedies against those responsible for the alleged malicious dissemination of false information, subject to the outcome of the investigation and the determination of probable cause by prosecutors.
Both PRO-NIR and DILG-NIR urged the public to exercise caution and verify information through official government sources before sharing or reposting online content./CCJ, WDJ