An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) leader described as a notorious hitman and an unidentified rebel were killed in an encounter with government soldiers at Sitio Kawayanan, Brgy Montilla in Moises Padilla town, Negros Occidental, at 11:55 p.m. Thursday, July 20.
Killed in the encounter between the 62nd Infantry Battalion soldiers and six NPA members were Marivic Ebarle, alias “Ivan”, commanding officer of a Section Guerilla Unit of Central Negros 1, and a still unidentified rebel, 1Lt. Mary Liza Joy de Guzman, 62IB civil-military operations officer, said Friday.
The 62IB responded to information from residents on the presence of the rebels in Sitio Kawayanan, which resulted in a 15-minute firefight.
Two NPA rebels were killed and their bodies were recovered, while two were wounded based on bloodstains found on their withdrawal route, de Guzman said.
Recovered by the government forces were one .45 caliber pistol, a .357 revolver, ammunition, medical kits with assorted medicines, and two backpacks with personal belongings, she added.
The rebels headed by Ebarle are the primary suspects in various killings of innocent civilians, harassment, and extortion activities in barangays Macagahay and Quintin Remo in Moises Padilla, that extends to the boundary brgys with La Castellana, Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, she added.
The 62IB is calling on the remnants and wounded fleeing rebels to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law because its soldiers will tirelessly hunt them down, De Guzman said.*