- GILBERT BAYORAN
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has vowed to aggressively pursue the remnants of New People’s Army in Negros Island, following the death of another soldier Aug. 24 in Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental.
In a statement, Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, commander of the 3rd ID, said “we will hunt them and bring them into the bar of justice, or otherwise, to their grave”.
Cpl. Richard Rafols, a member of the Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion, died in a gun-battle Aug. 24 in Brgy. Milagrosa, Santa Catalina, against 10 suspected NPA rebels, believed to be remnants of the dismantled South East Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
Also killed in the gun-battle was one of the fleeing rebels, identified by the Philippine Army as Ruby Almines, alias Kende.
Soldiers recovered an M653 assault rifle with a bandoleer containing 11 long and short magazines with ammunition, two caliber 45 pistols, an improvised explosive device with accessories, a hand grenade, and two backpacks of personal belongings.
The twin encounters took place more than two weeks after a policeman was killed, while two of his colleagues were injured, in an ambush in Sitio Icogan, Brgy. Minapasuk, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, Aug. 9.
P/Cpl. Jaime Nuñez, a member of the Calatrava Police Station, died in the ambush and was buried Aug. 26 at a memorial park in Cadiz City, Negros Occidental.
“We will not rest until none of them remain to continue their futile and senseless armed struggle,” Sison said./GB
