Rebel slain in Negros clash

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — Another suspected New People’s Army (NPA) guerrilla was killed in an encounter in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental yesterday.

The remains of the rebel, whose identity was not immediately available, was abandoned by his comrades who fled following a five-minute firefight in Barangay Trinidad, according to Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade.

Soldiers recovered a rifle and ammunition at the scene of the encounter.

Early this month, two rebels were also killed in a clash with troopers of the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion in nearby Barangay Buenavista.

Meanwhile, in Aurora province, an alleged medical officer of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangang Guerrilla Sierra Madre surrendered to authorities on Sunday.

The surrenderee, identified as Ka Balong, turned over two rifles to the military.

The hard life in the mountain reporrtedly drove the rebel to surrender.

In Bukidnon, troopers recovered firearms, grenades and improvised explosive devices (IED) following an encounter with NPA rebels in Malaybalay.

No one among the troopers were wounded in the clash that occurred in the hinterlands of Barangay Busdi, according to 2nd Lt. Danica Rose de Leon, civil-military relations officer of the Army’s 8th IB.

Soldiers overran the rebels’ camp and seized firearms, grenades, IEDs, communication equipment, ammunition and medical kit at the camp. – Ric Sapnu, Michael Punongbayan