Ten alleged New People’s Army rebels were killed in a series of encounters with government soldiers in Negros Island during the weekend, May 20 and 21.
Five were killed in Moises Padilla and one in Cauayan, Negros Occidental, and four in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, the Philippine Army reported.
Two alleged NPA members also surrendered and numerous firearms and ammunition were seized, it added.
The five were killed in a series of encounters with the Army’s 62nd Infantry “Unifier” Battalion in Brgy Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, on Saturday.
The 62IB launched combat operations in response to information of planned NPA atrocities in Moises Padilla and La Castellana, Negros Occidental, the report said.
The first encounter with 14 rebels at Sitio Napiluan occurred at 5:05 a.m. Saturday and lasted for 10 minutes, prompting the NPA fighters to splinter into smaller groups and withdraw.
The second encounter took place when six NPA rebels engaged another platoon of the 62IB at Sitio Oway-Oway 5:40 a.m. Satuday, which lasted for 10 minutes.
On the rebels withdrawal another 5-minute firefight took place when the blocking team of the 62IB spotted five fleeing rebels in the same sitio, the Army added.
There were no casualties on the government’s side, the 62IB reported.
The Moises Padilla police identified two of the alleged NPA fatalities as Evelyn Marin, 32, and Juliben Ramirez, 23, of Sitio Napiluan.
Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Garcia Yulo said three of the fatalities were from her town.
Yulo said food packs and hygiene kits from the Department of Social Welfare and Development were given to the evacuees from the encounter sites. They returned to their homes on Sunday, she added.
The Army said 212 families composed of 819 individuals were provided assistance.
Recovered from the encounter sites in Moises Padilla were one M-16 rifle, two .38 caliber pistols, a KG9 machine pistol with magazine assembly, one Uzi machine pistol with magazine assembly, two homemade 12 gauge shotguns, ammunition, two Baofeng radios, one cellphone, 15 backpacks, a bandolier, one NPA flag, various medical paraphernalia, food supply, enemy war materials, and personal belongings, the 62IB said.
On Sunday the 62IB tracked down the retreating rebels from Moises Padilla at Sitio Cambawgon, Brgy Trinidad, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
This resulted in a 62IB encounter with eight NPA rebels who are members of Central Negros 1 (CN1) at 5:10. a.m., Sunday, the 62 IB reported.
Four NPA rebels were killed, two surrendered and firearms were seized, it said.
Seized were an M4 Firebird, three M-16 rifles, a .30 caliber Springfield Bar Rifle , three .45 caliber pistols, ammunition, a hand grenade, an improvised explosive device, a detonating cord, binoculars, five backpacks, and personal belongings.
There were no casualties on the government side, the 62IB reported.
Blood stains were discovered on the NPA route of withdrawal, which indicates that an undetermined number of fleeing rebels were wounded, it added.
The 62IB is appealing to the fleeing rebels to voluntarily surrender, especially those wounded, so they can be given proper medical treatment.
The government forces are giving them a chance to return to the fold of the law because they will never stop hunting them down to ensure that long and lasting peace will be attained in Central Negros, the 62IB said.
Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Army’s Visayas Command, also confirmed to DIGICAST NEGROS Sunday night that an unidentified NPA rebel was also killed in an encounter with the 15th Infantry Brigade in Sitio Bajay, Barangay Caliling, Cauayan.*