- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebel died in an encounter with soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion in Sitio Caranawan, Barangay Amontay, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental on Wednesday.
1Lt. Mary Liza Joy de Guzman, civil-military operations officer of 62IB, said that the soldiers responded to reports from civilians on the presence of armed men in the area.
Upon arrival, Army troops figured in a five-minute clash with about five suspected NPA rebels.
The fleeing rebels, with some of them reportedly wounded, left behind their slain comrade, who has not been identified as of press time.
Army soldiers recovered an M1garand rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, and a backpack containing personal belongings and subversive documents.
Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, spokesperson of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), said those encountered by 62IB soldiers are remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 1 under the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor.
The infantry units of 3ID stationed in Western and Central Visayas have been alerted in connection with the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the political wing of the NPA, on Dec. 26. | GB
