TWO New People’s Army (NPA) rebels died after a clash with government troops in Leon, Iloilo last Saturday, the military’s Visayas Command (Viscom) reported yesterday.
Troops from the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion on a combat operation clashed with the insurgents at around 6:20 a.m. in Barangay Ayabang.
The rebels, belonging to the Southern Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon Panay, later retreated, leaving behind their two slain comrades.
Troops also retrieved an M16 rifle, two shotguns, a cal. 45 pistol, 11 cellphones, a laptop computer, a tablet, four backpacks containing rebel documents, and several extortion letters.
During his State of the Nation Address Monday last week, President Marcos Jr. said he was going to issue a proclamation granting amnesty to former rebels.
“With the pronouncement of our President to grant amnesty to former rebels, we will sustain our relentless focused military operations to pressure the ranks of the CPP-NPA for them to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law,” said Viscom commander Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo.
Arevalo said the operation was part of the military’s efforts to help ensure the peaceful conduct of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in October.
“This is also our way of ensuring the peaceful conduct of the upcoming Barangay and SK Elections in the region by preventing the CPP-NPA from sowing terror and threat to our people in order to generate funds and install individuals who are affiliated to the terrorist group,” said Arevalo.
Arevalo commended the troops involved even as he said Viscom is “committed to our mandate of ending the local communist armed conflict in the region as soon as possible.
