BACOLOD CITY—Two civilians were killed while two others were hurt on Sunday when communist rebels raided the bunkhouses of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Sitio Aliwanay, Barangay General Luna in Sagay City, about 90 kilometers from here.
Chief Insp. Eduardo Corpuz, Sagay police chief, identified the fatalities as Dionesio Ibanez and Jose Pios, both agrarian reform beneficiaries and members of Aliwanay Farmers Association.
Wounded were Sonny Respondo, a militiaman, and Jodito Lutrago, another agrarian reform beneficiary.
Ambush
Corpuz said the rebels also burned three bunkhouses of agrarian reform beneficiaries as they fled and took 10 high-powered firearms, including three M-16 assault rifles, five Carbine rifles, an M-14 assault rifle and an M-79 grenade launcher.
The attack came a week after a band of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed three soldiers and wounded two others in an ambush in Toboso town, Negros Occidental province, on May 14.
Corpuz said he believed that the rebels involved in the attack in Sagay were the same ones who ambushed Army soldiers in Barangay San Isidro, Toboso.
At least 30 communist rebels raided the bunkhouses of agrarian reform beneficiaries around 5:30 a.m. in Sitio Aliwanay, Barangay General Luna.
The sitio is about 2 km away from the General Luna barangay proper, where the Philippine National Police public safety company headquarters is located.
Respondo and another government militiaman, Alexander Garcia, proceeded to the site of the NPA raid and clashed with the rebels.
Respondo was wounded while the rebels took Garcia as they withdrew toward Sitio Biernesan of the barangay, Corpuz said.
Members of the 62nd Infantry Battalion, who established a blocking force, caught up with the rebels and clashed with them in Barangay Paitan, Escalante City.
No one was hurt but the clash could have prompted the fleeing rebels to release Garcia, said Senior Supt. William Senoron, provincial police director of Negros Occidental.