An unidentified member of the Communist rebel group died in an encounter with the Army’s 62nd Infantry Battalion at Sitio Mabanga, Barangay Bagtic, La Libertad, Negros Oriental, on Monday, March 15, Maj. Cenon Pancito III, Army 3rd Division Public Affairs Office chief, said Wednesday, March 17.
He said while scouring the encounter site, the 62IB soldiers discovered the cadaver of the still unidentified rebel and recovered a 5.56 M-16 rifle, M-16 magazine, anti-personnel mine, riffle grenade, three backpacks, four cellular phones, a small solar panel, and subversive documents with high intelligence value.
Maj. Gen. Eric Vinoya, 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division commander, said, the encounter was a product of the vigilance and support of the local populace to the Army by feeding correct and timely information on the movement of the rebels.
“We will mobilize all of our capabilities to make sure that these communist-terrorists will not have the opportunity to unleash violence in the Island. The recent encounter should serve as a stern warning to the remaining communist terrorist group members in the area to surrender to the folds of the law to avoid misfortune and death,” Vinoya said.*