BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
ILOILO City — Two soldiers were killed during an armed encounter with suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
The clash happened at about 2:15 p.m. on Thursday, an hour after rebels strafed a group of humanitarian workers and military in Barangay Paga, Leon, Iloilo, reports from the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) said.
Some 30 rebels fired at 47th Infantry Battalion personnel in Himamaylan, said Lt. Col. Ariel Reyes, the battalion’s commanding officer.
Corporal Napoleon Supresencia and Private First Class Henry Lumio Jr. were killed.
Private First Class Leland Sucatre, on the other hand, sustained a gunshot wound in the back.
Reyes said the soldiers were in the village to help the residents identify issues in their community and in response to reports on the presence of armed men.
He said the encounter lasted for about 30 minutes.
The military believes the rebels were members of the NPA’s Central Negros Front–Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros.
The rebels also carted away the two M16s owned by the military casualties.
Reyes said they believe some of the rebels were wounded. “We saw blood stains along the rebels’ route of withdrawal,” he said.
Major General Aurelio Baladad, 3ID commander, was saddened by the incident.
“We express our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of our slain soldiers,” Baladad said. “They offered their lives for the sake of the people. They will always be remembered as true heroes and advocates of peace.”
Rebels were disrupting peace and development efforts, including the delivery of basic services, in Negros Occidental, he said.
Baladad urged the rebel to surrender peacefully. “We cannot move on if we keep on fighting,” he stressed.
In spite of the incident, the 47th Infantry Battalion will continue ensuring peace in Himamaylan, Reyes said./PN
