• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
A top leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Island and three other rebel remnants died in a series of armed clashes with Philippine Army soldiers in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, and in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, Jan. 30 and 31, respectively.
The first two encounters took place Friday in Hacienda Dama and Sitio Apitong in Barangay Bia-o, Binalbagan, where troopers of the 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) clashed with remnants of the dismantled Central Negros (CN) 2 and security group of the Negros Island Regional Party Committee (NIRPC), led by its secretary Reynaldo Erecre.
Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said that Erecre, secretary of NIRPC, died when he and four of his security escorts encountered the 94IB troopers in Sitio Apitong.
The group of Erecre were chanced upon by 94IB troopers, who were pursuing five remnants of CN2 they engaged earlier in Hacienda Apitong, which resulted in the death of Regie Pacheco, finance and logistic officer of the dismantled CN2.
In the two encounters, soldiers recovered an M16 assault rifle from Pacheco and a caliber .45 pistol from Erecre.
Erecre was the brother of Roy Erecre, also a former secretary of the NPA Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor, who had surrendered to Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado.
In a statement, Lt. Col. Zeigfred Tayaban, 94IB commander, said they were able to thwart an attempt of rebel remnants to sabotage government infrastructure projects in Barangay Bi-ao.
Tayaban said the armed rebels planned to burn heavy equipment being used for ongoing development work in the area.
In Negros Oriental, two rebel remnants of the dismantled CN 1 died in a clash with 47th Infantry Battalion troopers in Sitio Laos Dako, Barangay Binobohan, Guihulngan City Saturday.
Soldiers recovered an M16 assault rifle with four magazines containing ammunition, a fragmentation grenade, and a caliber .45 pistol.
The remnants of the dismantled CN1 and CN2 guerilla fronts are being supervised by the NIRPC. | GB
