INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
BACOLOD CITY — A suspected communist rebel was killed in a clash with government troopers in Sitio Maliko-Liko, Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday morning.
The soldiers and the police responded to a report that armed rebels were extorting money and food in Sitio Maliko-liko, which resulted in a five-minute firefight with about 10 members of the New People’s Army’s (NPA) Central Negros 2-Komiteng Rehiyon Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (CN2-KR-NCBS) group at 6:30 a.m. on January 9.
The rebels left behind their dead comrade, according to the 94th Infantry Battalion.
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Recovered from the scene were one M-14 rifle, a M79 grenade launcher, two M-16 rifles, a rifle grenade, seven M-14 rifle magazines, one M-4 rifle magazine, assorted ammunition, four grenade launcher ammunition, two bandoliers, a backpack, NPA flag, and subversive documents.
Col. Samson, 303rd Brigade Commander, said the encounter in Barangay Carabalan was a result of information provided by residents in the area on the presence of the armed group in the area.
“This is a clear indication that the NPA is losing the support of the masses,” he said.
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“As long as there are remaining armed rebels who continue to threaten the peacefulness of communities, the Army in Negros will be relentless in pursuit of the perpetrators of murder, arson, extortion and other atrocities,” he added.
Samson said the long arm of the law will eventually bring them to the bar of justice.