The 79th Infantry “Masaligan” Battalion overran a Communist Party of the Philippines hideout, and seized high powered firearms and war materials in the hinterlands of Sitio Martesan, Brgy. Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, on Monday, January 15.
The 79IB troops overran the hideout following a five-minute encounter with about eight remnants of the dismantled North Negros Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor at about 8:45 a.m., the Army reported.
The troops tracked down the rebels following information from a concerned civilian on the presence of armed men who had been conducting atrocities and extortion in the Northern Negros area, the Army added.
The 79IB soldiers seized a .30 caliber garand rifle, a carbine rifle, .38 caliber revolver, a long and a short magazine of a carbine rifle, a magazine for garand rifle, two rifle grenades, assorted ammunition, two cellular phones, a handheld radio, chargers for a cellphone and handheld radio, rain boots, slippers, food, medicine and subversive documents, the Army said.
There was no casualty on the government side, however, bloodstains were found on the withdrawal route of the rebels, it added.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said the rebel forces in Negros have been weakened but “I would like to think that they (the NPA) will continue to show they are active to give the impression that they are still a force to reckon with”.
In Negros Occidental the Army has said that there is only one rebel front left in the south but it has been declared weakened, Lacson said.
But the Philippine Army has also stated that they are not leaving the place, they will continue to remain where they are right now, he added.*