3 rebels arrested, 8 yield

BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines  - Three suspected New People' Army (NPA) rebels were arrested while eight others surrendered to authorities here in Negros Occidental recently.

Colonel Oscar Lactao, 303rd Brigade commander, said the arrest and surrender came on the heels of a joint Philippine Army-Philippine National Police counter-insurgency operations in northern Negros since Monday. Those arrested were turned over to the PNP for filing of charges, he said.

Military reports said there were three encounters between the NPA and the government troops since Monday, and the soldiers recovered from the scene a shotgun, magazines, seven backpacks, jungle hammocks and three NPA flags.

Lactao said the latest encounter between government troops and the NPA was in Brgy. Bandila of Toboso town Wednesday morning.

He believed that the rebels the military clashed for two days in the hinterlands of Calatrava and Toboso towns were also the same group of insurgents who raided and confiscated several high-powered firearms in Sagay City, two weeks ago.

There was no reported casualty on both sides out of the three encounters, although traces of bloodstains were seen along the rebels' withdrawal routes in Calatrava, he said.

Lactao further said that, several days before the encounter, eight NPA members surrendered to the 62nd Infantry Battalion.

They were identified as Joebert Andrez, alias Ka Caloy, of Brgy. Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla; John Rey Charita, alias Ka JB/RC and his wife, Dionesia, alias Mae Mae, Paulino Aton, alias Ka Steve/Glen, Ronel Lopo, alias Nonoy, and Romy Sirundo, alias Ka Job.