• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Two suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels died in an encounter with Philippine Army soldiers in Hacienda Gomez, Barangay Sag-ang, La Castellana, Negros Occidental Wednesday morning.
The clash ensued after troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) responded to reports from residents on the presence of about five remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 1 guerilla front, who were engaged in recruitment and extortion activities.
1Lt. Mary Liza Joy de Guzman, civil-military operations officer of 62IB, said the firefight lasted for about three minutes, which resulted in the death of the two unidentified rebels.
Their comrades fled, with some of them also believed to have been injured, as traces of bloodstains were later discovered.
The soldiers also recovered an AR 15 assault rifle, a caliber .45 c pistol, a homemade 12-gauge shotgun, assorted magazines of firearms with ammunition, two backpacks containing medical paraphernalia and personal belongings, as well as subversive documents.
The encounter in La Castellana took place several days after 79IB soldiers also overran the hideout and recovered assorted firearms of Northern Negros Front remnants in Barangay Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental.
De Guzman said the remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 1 fled to the hinterlands of La Castellana after facing a series of debacles in their lairs in the mountainous area of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, and Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental. | GB
