A NEW People’s Army was killed and a rebel camp was overrun by government troops after a clash in Negros Occidental last Sunday.
The fighting occurred at the boundary of Barangay Imelda in Guihulngan City and Barangay Quintin Remo in Moises Padilla town, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) said.
The military said troops from the 62nd Infantry Battalion conducted an operation in the area after receiving information that a group of rebels was engaged in extortion and intimidation.
The 10-minute clash resulted in the death of Joel Blasco, alias Carpo, a member of the NPA’s Central Negros Front 1. A cal. 45 pistol, a cal. 38 revolver, a hand grenade, and other war materiel were also recovered.
Maj. Gen. Marion Sison, 3rd ID commander, lamented the death of the NPA member who, he said, might have been manipulated by NPA leaders to join their movement.
“While it is sad that we lost another life, we also want to reiterate that our warning stands. For those who espouse terrorism, we will render you irrelevant,” said Sison.
Sison said soldiers, in collaboration with the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), will continue to pursue NPA rebels until they are no longer capable of sowing violence.
“In response to people’s clamor for an NPA-free community, in collaboration and cooperation with Task Force-ELCAC, our troops will relentlessly pursue these terrorists until they are incapable of sowing fear and terror,” said Sison.
