• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) reported to have neutralized 42 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) in the past seven months.
Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, 3ID public affairs chief, said that 16 of them had been killed, two were captured and 24 others surrendered, both in Negros and Panay islands.
On July 29, the encounter at Purok 5 in Barangay Basak, Cauayan, Negros Occidental led to the death of a member of the dismantled South West Front identified as Ramon Enseniales, with aliases “Art” and “Bugtong”.
The identity of Enseniales, 64, a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Tambad, Cauayan, was confirmed by his wife, Epifania, according to Javines.
The cadaver of Enseniales was left behind by his fleeing comrades at the encounter site, where soldiers of the 15th Infantry Battalion also recovered an improvised 12-gauge shotgun, two hand grenades, three cellular phones, personal belongings, and subversive documents.
On the same day, soldiers of the 79th Infantry Battalion found a cache of high-powered firearms, including two M14 assault rifles, an M1 garand rifle and a 12-gauge shotgun with ammunition in Barangay Pinowayan, Don Salvador Benedicto. | GB
