BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – A ranking female officer of the New People’s Army (NPA) along with three others died in Thursday’s fierce encounter with the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office in Hacienda Builder in Barangay San Pablo, Manapla town.
Authorities identified the slain NPA official as Marilyn “Ka Monet’ Badayos, former secretary of the southeast front and finance officer of the northern Negros front.
Also killed were Ronilo Desabille, Rody Carbajosa. The identity of the other casualty remained unknown.
First Lieutenant Dansan Camua, 79IB’s civil military operations officer, said the gun battle started around 2 a.m. and lasted for at least an hour.
The rebels withdrew towards Victorias City, Camua said.
Authorities recovered one .45 caliber pistol, a .38 caliber revolver, two fragmentation grenades, propaganda materials, and other subversive documents.
Badayos had an existing warrant of arrest issued by the San Carlos City Regional Trial Court for attempted murder.
She was previously arrested in June 2016 in Negros Oriental for attempted homicide, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
Badayos’ homicide case stemmed from the killing of Private First Class Marlon Lanes in Bais City, Negros Oriental during a sniping in 2014.
She was also allegedly involved in the fatal ambush on Police Sergeant Joe Harry Peralta and Patrolman Henrey Pacheco in Barangay Caningay, Candoni town in Negros Occidental in 2016.
Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division, said the latest encounter was a “major setback” for the NPA.
It will significantly disrupt their extortion schemes and support system not only in Negros but in the entire region, according to Arevalo.
He urged the public to continue supporting the government’s peace campaign in ending local communist armed conflict./PN
