- GILBERT BAYORAN
A suspected leader of the New People’s Army and his subordinate died in an encounter with Army soldiers July 20 in Sitio Kawayanan, Brgy. Montilla, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.
One of the two slain rebels, whose cadavers were left by their fleeing comrades at the encounter site, was identified by the Philippine Army as Marivic Ebarle, alias Ka Ivan, reportedly the commanding officer of the Section Guerilla Unit of Central Negros 1 of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
The identity of the other slain rebel has yet to be established by the military and Moises Padilla Police Station, as of this time.
Lt. Col. William Pesase, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, reported that the gun-battle between his troops and about six NPA members lasted for 15 minutes, before the rebels scampered to different directions.
Pesase said the soldiers also recovered a caliber 45 pistol with two magazines containing ammunition, a caliber 357 revolver with 21 ammunition, medical kits, assorted medicines, and two backpacks of personal belongings, aside from the two cadavers.
He also reported that two other rebels were said to have been injured, as indicated by bloodstains along their withdrawal routes, and based on the testimonies of residents, who reported the NPA presence in their community.
Pesase said that the group of Ebarle was tagged as primary suspects in various killings of innocent civilians, harassment, and extortion activities in barangays Macagahay and Quintin Remo, both in Moises Padilla, that extends towards the boundary barangays with La Castellana, all in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental./GB
