Saturday, July 28, 2007 Forced evacuation in Calatrava town By Nicolas C. Delfin and Gil Alfredo B. Severino
MORE than 200 residents living in the upland areas of Barangays Menchaca and Barangay Cruz in Calatrava town were evacuated on Friday to keep them away from getting caught in crossfire between the Army troopers and the rebels belonging to Communist Party of Philippines - New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
In Barangay Menchaca, police authorities, military and personnel of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development (PSWD) have already transferred 150 individuals to the barangay hall.
And as of presstime Friday night, the same thing was also done in Barangay Cruz where 70 persons were also gathered and transferred to the barangay hall.
PSWD staff Mearly Garcia said that they've already prepared almost 50 sacks of rice and 20 boxes of grocery goods for the evacuees while troopers from the 303rd Infantry Brigade are still conducting military operations against the NPAs in the area.
The evacuation is being done as a preemptive measure by both the local and provincial government to prevent residents to become casualties of possible encounters, Garcia said.
Earlier, about 16 Scout Rangers from the 303rd Infantry Brigade and 60 NPA rebels under the Larangan Guerilya 6 led by a certain Ka Gildo figured in an encounter that led to the death of one rebel and injury to one of the soldiers.
The fatality was identified as Leo Sisbrenio, a Negros Oriental native.
While a bullet graze the forehead of Private First Class Gerwin Aragona. He was rushed to the Riverside Medical Center in Bacolod City.
