BACOLOD CITY – Five New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in an encounter with the 15th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Barangay Abaca, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Saturday, May 16.
Brig. Gen. Jason Jumawan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said the NPA fired at soldiers responding to reports of armed men in the area, triggering a running gunbattle that left five communist rebels dead.
The Army has yet to release the identities of the fatalities, pending verification and confirmation from their families.
High-powered firearms were recovered from the encounter site. No government troops were injured.
Jumawan said the slain rebels were believed to be remnants of the dismantled South West Front, which allegedly killed suspected government informants in Cauayan, Sipalay City, and Kabankalan City in Negros Occidental.
Around 26 individuals have reportedly been killed since February.
This was the second encounter between the 15th IB and the NPA in Cauayan this month.
In April, the 79th IB engaged the Northern Negros Front in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, where 19 NPA rebels were killed.
Meanwhile, residents of Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, held a rally denouncing the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).
The 3rd Infantry Division (ID) said the gathering served as a strong symbol of resistance against armed violence and a demand for justice for civilians victimized by the NPAs in Negros Island. (Glazyl Masculino)
