BACOLOD City – Two New People’s Army (NPA) rebels surrendered to the authorities following a gun battle in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, Nov. 8.
The Philippine Army has requested that the identities of the two surrendering rebels remain confidential for security reasons.
The clash in Himamaylan City was the second such encounter recorded in the province this week, following an earlier confrontation in Cauayan town on Tuesday. That incident resulted in the deaths of two suspected rebels.
Captain Eduardo Rarugal, Civil Military Operations Officer of the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB), said they immediately conducted a security patrol in Barangay Buenavista after receiving intelligence about the rebels’ presence in the area.
During the patrol, the troops encountered nine NPA insurgents, leading to a 15-minute exchange of gunfire.
The insurgents were believed to be remnants of the NPA’s Central Negros 2, Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor.
According to Rarugal, seven insurgents managed to escape, while two were left behind. The latter were persuaded by government troops to surrender.
The authorities recovered an array of items: three M16 rifles, 15 fully-loaded magazines, an M4 assault rifle, an M1 Garand rifle, three bandoliers, two backpacks, a generator set, subversive documents, and various personal belongings of the rebels. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
