• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A Philippine Army soldier was injured while several firearms and explosives were recovered during a series of gunbattles between government forces and remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Cauayan and Toboso, Negros Occidental over the weekend.
On Sunday, April 19, the series of encounters in Toboso led to the evacuation of 366 individuals in barangays of Salamanca and San Jose, Mayor Richard Jaojoco said.
The gunbattle in Sitio Plariding led to the injury of an Army soldier, who is now in a stable condition, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said.
Dumosmog said pursuing soldiers recovered several firearms while scouring the encounter sites.
1Lt Fevie Fajardo, civil-military operations officer of 79th Infantry Battalion, said the group of Roger Fabillar, alias Jhong, was reported to have been encountered by patroling Army soldiers.
A bounty of P1 million is being offered for the arrest of Fabillar for his involvement in series of killings of civilians in northern Negros.
In Cauayan, the first encounter between three suspected NPA members and patroling soldiers of the 15th Infantry Battalion took place in Sitio Lomboy, Barangay Caliling on Saturday.
Capt. Jessie Jun Ebalan, public affairs chief of 3rd Infantry Division, said the rebel remnants fled after almost 30 minutes of running gunbattle.
They left behind three back packs containing a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition, two rifle grenades, several blasting caps for improvised explosive device, 69 ammunition for 12-gauge shotgun and M16 assault rifle, two magazines of AK 47 rifle, two CPP-NPA flags, among others. | GB
