Army troopers of the 79th Infantry Battalion based in Siaton, Negros Oriental clashed anew with suspected members of the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) on Saturday morning in the adjacent town of Sta. Catalina.
The armed encounter is the second to take place this week amid preparations by the military and the police to secure the polling places and maintain peace and order two days ahead of Monday’s synchronized automated national and local elections.
Lt. Col. Marion Sison, 79th IB battalion commander, disclosed that around 10:15 a.m. Saturday, two squads of the 79th IB, led by Corporal . Ysrael Yosores and Private First Class Andy Llena, while on combat operation, encounter more or less seven fully-armed suspected NPA members at the vicinity of Sitio Maglangit in the hinterland village of Milagros, Sta. Catalina.
Firefight ensued for about five minutes with running gun battle before the armed group withdrew towards the northwest.
Soldiers recovered from the encounter site six pieces of empty shells of caliber 5.56 M-16, one pair of slippers, one red cap, one belt bag with dried rolled leaves of black plum and a lighter.
No casualties were reported in Saturday’s encounter in the hinterlands of Sta. Catalina.
Government troops continue with pursuit operations to quell further attempts of the suspected rebels to mar the upcoming polls.
Last Monday, 79th IB troopers also engaged some 30 suspected NPA members in a skirmish in Sitio Cadlum in Barangay Nagbalaye, also in Sta. Catalina town.
The town has been placed in the election watch list areas (EWAS) by the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Center (JPSCC) due to the presence of armed threat groups.
Lt. Col. Sison identified the alleged NPA rebels in both clashes as members of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Sentral Bisayas-South East Front (KRSB-SEF).
According to the Army commander, government troopers are to be deployed to assist the police in securing voting centers in areas that are faced with the insurgency problem. (PNA)
