- GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A suspected New People’s Army rebel died July 7 in renewed armed skirmishes with Army soldiers in Sitio Pangi, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The series of encounters also prompted several families from remote areas in the barangay to abandon their homes for security reasons.
Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, 94th Infantry Battalion commander, said that the slain and unidentified NPA member was left behind at the encounter site by his fleeing comrades, who scampered in various directions.
Almonte said the first encounter took place at about 7:30 a.m. in the area, after Army soldiers responded to information from a disgruntled former NPA member on the presence of his ex-comrades, who were extorting food from villagers.
He added that two backpacks containing extortion letters and personal belongings were left behind by about 10 NPA members, who retreated towards the northern part of the sitio.
Pursuing Army troops clashed with the fleeing rebels, about two kilometers from the first encounter site. It was followed by another gun-battle, which lasted for about 10 minutes, before the disoriented NPA members fled to separate directions, Almonte said. Government troops were scouring the two encounter sites when they found the cadaver as well as an M4A1 automatic assault rifle with a magazine containing ammunition, Almonte added./GB
