Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr., Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro – Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. – Philippine Army commander, visited the injured soldiers on Sunday.*
Top officials of the Department of National Defense and Philippine Army visited the six soldiers who were injured in an encounter with the New People’s Army in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, at a hospital in Bacolod City on Sunday, October 9
Two soldiers, Cpl. Christian Drilon and Cpl. Rex Verde of Gumaras and Iloilo, were also killed in the same encounter on Saturday, Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade commander, said.
Negros Occidental mourns the loss of the two soldiers, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said.
The encounter on Saturday was the fourth clash of the government soldiers with the NPA rebels in the area since Thursday that has caused 2,200 residents to flee to evacuations centers.
Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Jose Faustino Jr.,
Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro – Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff, and Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. – Philippine Army commander, visited the injured soldiers who were in stable condition Sunday afternoon, Pasaporte said.
Faustino gave encouraging words to the troops and assured them that they will be taken care of, Pasaporte added.
The governor said he offers his sincerest condolences “to the families of our two fallen soldiers. They lost their lives in action, in the pursuit of peace for the province, and for the security of the people of Himamaylan and Negros Occidental”.
“What our two heroes did for the country, the province, and our people is the highest form of bravery, sacrifice, and patriotism that we must always honor and must never forget,” he added.
“We also pray for the speedy recovery of our six wounded soldiers and for the fulfilment of genuine peace and harmony in Negros Occidental,“he added.
MGen. Benedict Arevalo, 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division commander, said “I condole with the families of the two fallen heroes for their bravery and heroism in protecting and securing the peace-loving people of Himamaylan City and Negros Island. Their loss will serve as our inspiration and motivation to reach our long-time quest for just and lasting peace not only in Negros island but also in the whole Western and Central Visayas.”
The Department of Social Welfare and Development 6 said it has provided 1,136 family food packs and 105 sleeping kits amounting to P877,430 to the families affected by the armed conflict in Carabalan.
Based on the report from the Himamaylan City Social Welfare and Development Office, there are 1,136 families or 5,267 persons affected of which 472 families or 1,749 were displaced.
Himamaylan Mayor Raymund Tongson said 2,200 Carabalan residents have evacuated.*