Another ranking rebel leader in Negros Island and her companion died during an encounter with soldiers of the 94th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Belo, Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Dec. 14.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, identified the slain NPA leader as Florida Ceballos, secretary of the Central Negros (Front) 2 of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR-NCBS), and Wilfredo Fuentes, alias Dino, who served as courier of the NPA unit.
Pasaporte said that Ceballos was the third KR-NCBS secretary neutralized by the Philippine Army this year.
The first one was Kerima Lorena Tariman, secretary of the Northern Negros Front, who died in an encounter with 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Silay City in August, and Nilda Natan Bertulano, South West Front Committee secretary, who was captured, after she was injured in an armed clash with government troopers in Ilog town, a month after.
Pasaporte said the 94IB troopers responded to reports of civilians on the presence of about 10 NPA rebels in their community that resulted in a gunbattle.
He added that the fleeing rebels left their two slain comrades at the encounter site.
Two 45 caliber pistols, assorted explosives, and subversive documents were among the war materials recovered by 94IB troopers at the encounter site. — GB
