All Regional Mobile Force personnel who engaged in an armed encounter with an alleged communist terrorist group (CTG) in Sitio Kabalagnan, Barangay Lalong, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, on Sunday afternoon, June 14, are safe and accounted for, the Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) reported.
The Regional Mobile Force Battalion – Negros Island Region (RMFB-NIR) said personnel from the 1st Platoon, 2nd Maneuver Company, engaged suspected CTG members while providing security assistance to a municipal local government operations officer.
Upon receiving the report, a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) from the RMFB-NIR’s 2nd Maneuver Company was immediately deployed to the area and successfully extracted the operating team, PRO NIR said.
Subsequent scouring operations conducted near the encounter site resulted in the recovery of broken pieces of a 5.56 caliber rifle. The items are now undergoing examination and documentation as part of the ongoing investigation.
The RMFB-NIR is coordinating closely with the Calatrava Municipal Police Station and Bravo Company of the 79th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, based in Barangay Tigbon, Calatrava, to strengthen area security and sustain pursuit and monitoring operations.
Additional maneuver companies have been placed on standby to provide reinforcement if necessary. Meanwhile, a Scout Platoon from Bravo Company, along with a team from the RMFB-NIR’s 2nd Maneuver Company, has been deployed to the area, the PRO NIR said.
As of Sunday night, all members of the 1st Platoon, 2nd Maneuver Company, RMFB-NIR, have been safely accounted for, with no injuries or casualties reported on the government side, it added.
The PRO NIR assured the public that appropriate operational and investigative measures are being undertaken in close coordination with partner security forces.
“The Police Regional Office Negros Island Region remains steadfast in its commitment to maintaining peace and security while ensuring the safety of communities throughout the region,” the statement added.*
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