Government troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army clashed with suspected members of the New People’s Army in three separate incidents in the mountains of Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Thursday.
Lt. Col. Evelio Ilanga, commanding officer of the 62IB, told the media that the initial clash occurred around 6 a.m. in Barangay Humay-humay, where soldiers encountered about nine remnants of the dismantled Central Negros 1 guerrilla front.
A brief three-minute firefight ensued before the insurgents retreated.
The soldiers recovered one high-powered firearm, some live rounds of ammunition, magazines, and personal belongings that were left behind by the suspected NPA rebels.
Ilanga said that pursuit operations led to two more brief skirmishes with the same group later that day at separate locations. He refused to give further details.
He assured the public that the military is working to prevent any disruption by the NPA during the upcoming elections, particularly in Guihulngan City.
Based on the Commission on Elections’ classification of election hotspots, Guihulngan City and La Libertad are currently under the red category—the highest level—due to the presence of armed groups.
Basay has been placed under the orange category, while the remaining 22 towns and cities in Negros Oriental are classified under the yellow category.
The encounter followed assurances by the Comelec in Negros Island Region that there are no indications that the NPA has the capability to disrupt the May 12 elections in Negros.
Comelec-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano made the assurance on Monday following a separate encounter between government troops and suspected NPA members in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental the previous weekend, where seven suspected ranking NPA members were killed by forces from the 11th, 15th, and 47th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army.
“We have received assurances from both the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army that, as of now, there is no evidence suggesting the NPA intends to disrupt the elections,” Castillano said.
He also relayed that communication with the provincial election supervisor of Negros Occidental confirmed that, based on reports from the Kabankalan City election officer, “no voting centers were affected by the recent encounter.”
Castillano noted that while the clashes were primarily part of the government’s ongoing counter-insurgency efforts and not directly related to the elections, they serve as a testament to the Philippine Army’s continued vigilance.
“This proactive stance also provides us with added assurance that we can expect a peaceful and orderly election day, free from any untoward incidents,” he said.
During the NIR Regional Joint Security Control Center meeting held on Friday afternoon in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, high-ranking officials from the Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police assured that sufficient personnel will be deployed to ensure election security and to respond to potential disaster scenarios, particularly in the event of an Alert Level 4 eruption of Mt. Kanlaon on or before election day. (Judy F. Partlow/PNA)
