At least 20 NPA fighters storm village hall in Negros Oriental

MANILA, Philippines — At least 20 fighters of the New People’s Army (NPA) have stormed the village hall of Barangay Lamogong, Manjuyod town in Negros Oriental, seemingly renewing the rebel offensive after a few weeks of lull in violent incidents in the province.

According to a report from the Manjuyod municipal police on Thursday, the group of armed men first entered the residence of Arsenio Cadiente, chairman of the said village, at about 8:00 a.m. Wednesday and introduced themselves as members of the NPA.

Police said the rebels took Cadiente’s cellphone and a handheld radio and its charger, and about half an hour later, accompanied him to the village hall where a council meeting was being held.

At the barangay hall, the NPA fighters then made a short conversation with other local officials and stole another four handheld radios and some chargers owned by the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, according to police.

“There was no violence that occured during the stay of the armed group,” the report read, adding that the communist rebels left the building at about 10:00 a.m. on the same day.

Police were notified of the incident and are now conducting an investigation. /jpv