• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A hideout of the New People’s Army (NPA) remnants was overran yesterday by soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, public affairs chief of 3rd Infantry Division, said the gunbattle ensued after residents in the area reported the presence of about eight rebels from the dismantled Northern Negros Front.
These remnants are believed to be behind the death of a businessman and the torching of his family’s tractor in the neighboring Toboso earlier this month as well as the killing of other civilians they accused as military informants in Calatrava.
They fled a few minutes into the encounter, leaving behind trail of bloodstains, which may indicate that some of them may have been injured or killed, Javines said.
After the firefight, the soldiers recovered from the hideout a caliber .30 M1 garand rifle, a carbine rifle with two magazines containing 21 rounds of ammunition, a calibre .38 revolver, two rifle grenades, a hand-held Baofeng radio, two cellular phones, assorted food supplies and medicines.
In a statement, Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, 79IB commander, said no one was hurt among his soldiers.
He added that the encounter was a clear manifestation of their relentless efforts to hunt down the NPA remnants and bring justice to their victims.
On the night of Jan. 2, businessman Juvinie Sarona, 43, was gunned down by a group of armed men at his residence in Barangay Bug-ang, Toboso.
The NPA accused him of involvement in illegal activities, but the Toboso Municipal Police Station said that Sarona had no criminal records but was instead a well-known supporter of peace efforts in the locality. | GB
