- GILBERT BAYORAN
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division Tuesday confirmed the death of a top ranking leader of the Negros Island Regional Operational Command of the New People’s Army, following an encounter Oct. 10 in Sitio Medel, Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
This was the fifth encounter between the 94th Infantry Battalion soldiers and the rebels since Oct. 6 in the hinterlands of Brgy. Carabalan, that also claimed the lives of two Army soldiers and injured six others.
Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, 3rd ID commander, identified the slain rebel leader as Romeo Nanta, with aliases of Juaning, Jack, and Juanito Magbanua. He served as head of the Regional Operational Command of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros and as spokesperson of the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command.

Arevalo said the death of Nanta will create a major setback on the terroristic plans and activities of the communist terrorist group in Negros Island.
“Demoralization within the ranks of NPA under the command of Nanta is also expected,” he added.
The encounter between the group of Nanta and 94IB soldiers lasted for about 10 minutes, prompting his comrades to scamper to various directions and leaving behind his cadaver at the encounter site, a report from the Army said.
Soldiers also recovered a .45 caliber pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition, a backpack with personal belongings, and a cellular phone.
Nanta had been arrested in 2011 for murder, frustrated murder, and robbery, among other numerous cases, at a checkpoint in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. But he was freed from jail after posting bail.
The series of encounters that led to the evacuation of more than 15,000 individuals prompted Mayor Raymund Tongson, as chairman of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and with the concurrence of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, to place Himamaylan City under a state of calamity.
Because of the declaration, Vice Mayor Justin Silos Gatuslao said the city government can now utilize its Quick Response Fund. It also enables the release of national calamity funds to agencies involved in relief operations, he added./GB