Five of the 19 alleged rebels killed in an encounter on Sunday were key officials of the New People’s Army Northern Negros Front (NNF), which has created a vacuum in leadership in the area, Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said on Tuesday, April 21.
“Their core leadership has been wiped out,” he said.
The 19 rebels were killed in a series of encounters with 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso in Negros Occidental.
So far the identities of only five of the 19 recovered bodies have been disclosed.
Dumosmog said among those killed were Glenmar Bacosmo secretary of the NNF and his deputy secretary, alias Pat.
Also killed were Rene Vilavencenio – vice squad leader of the NNF Squad 2, and Pedro Bonghanoy alias Regine, team leader of NNF’s Centro de Gravedad.
Earlier identified as among the dead was long-wanted rebel leader Roger Fabillar, who also used the aliases Arnel Tapang, Jhong, Nono, and Domeng.
Dumosmog said Fabillar was the commanding officer of the NNF Special Operations Group and Centro de Gravedad, linked to numerous killings of civilians in northern Negros.
Photos circulating showed several women and a foreign looking male among the dead alleged rebels. There are a lot of foreign looking people in Negros, Dumosmog said, when asked if one of the fatalities was a foreigner.
Dumosmog said the Army recovered 24 firearms from the slain rebels. The cache included seven M-16 rifles, three, Garand rifles, three M-14 rifles, a Carbine, M203 grenade launcher, six .45 caliber pistols, and three .357 Magnum revolvers, he said.
The 303rd Infantry Brigade said the neutralization of the 19 rebels in Toboso is a significant step in achieving justice for the families they have victimized.
“It must be clearly understood that those who persist in committing crimes must face the consequences under the law.” Dumosmog said.*
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