BACOLOD CITY ,Philippines — About 30 suspected NPA rebels, riding in two vans, were intercepted at a checkpoint along the national highway in Barangay Punao of San Carlos City at around 11 p.m. Thursday.
According to Lt. Col. Ely Alberto, commander of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, this led to a firefight resulting in the wounding of 11 rebels, one of who was captured, and one soldier.
The checkpoint was manned by soldiers of the 62nd IB, and policemen of the 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion, Regional MG and San Carlos City Police, said Alberto.
A trooper of the 62nd IB, identified as Cpl. Hernando Santos, sustained a bullet wound in the stomach but was reported to be in stable condition as of press time, he said.
The captured NPA rebel was identified as Jopet Tuayon from Manapla town in northern Negros Occidental.
Alberto said the rebels were possibly caught unaware by the checkpoint as the Starex van, which was the lead car, immediately stopped about 10 meters away, moved backwards a few meters but hit the Urvan van behind it, and prompting both vehicles to stop.
The riders of both vehicles quickly got out and opened fire at the authorities manning the checkpoint triggering a 20-minute firefight. Reinforcements from the RMG arrived later, forcing the rebels to withdraw to the forested areas, bringing with them the injured comrades.
Alberto said that it was when the firing stopped that they heard somebody from inside the Starex saying "tabang" (help). It was Tuayon who was slumped at the back seat of the vehicle with a gunshot wound in the left shoulder and stomach.
Tuayon was immediately brought by the government forces to the San Carlos City District Hospital where he was given first aid before moved to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod.
He was transferred later to the Riverside Hospital as requested by his cousin, Christian Tuayon of Bayan Muna, according to Sr. Supt. Allan Guisihan, director of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office.
Alberto said Tuayon, reportedly a political instructor of the NPA operating in Cadiz City, told him that there were 30 of them in the two vehicles who were picked up from various areas. Tuayon said that he did not know where they will be brought and neither did he know the others in the van except for a certain Richel, who was beside him inside the Starex.
Authorities recovered from the scene an M16 rifle, 10 backpacks with food provisions and clothes, and a map of the RMG station in Brgy. Libertad of Escalante City.
Alberto theorized that the group planned to stay inside the sugarcane field before hitting its target, which could be the ethanol plant in the area or the San Carlos City Police station.
Alberto further said that Tuayon requested him to inform his relatives of what happened to him which the military obliged.\