TWO members of the Philippine Army were killed while eight others were wounded after an encounter with suspected New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental province Saturday morning.
Killed were Sergeant Sandy Arevalo and Private First Class (PFC) Vicente Marcon. Wounded were Sergeant Niño Nabaunag, PFC Michael Besana, PFC Voltair Catamin, PFC Angelito Bariga, PFC Kenneth Cerbo, Private Ryan Las Piñas, Private Joven Taghap, and Private John Daryle Delgado.
Captain Ruel Llanes, civil-military operations officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, said the military troops were conducting security patrol and combat operations in Tan-awan village around 5:30 a.m., in preparation for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on May 14, when they sighted the presence of about 50 to 60 armed men in the area.
A firefight ensued between the troops and rebels for more than an hour resulting to the deaths of two soldiers.
All wounded soldiers were transported to a hospital in Kabankalan City aboard a helicopter. Seven of them sustained minor injuries but one was seriously wounded.
Llanes said the wounded soldiers are now in stable condition.
Augmentation troops, policemen, and other security forces were dispatched to the area to help in the clearing operations and in hunting down the NPA members.
The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (Norppo) was also alerted for possible exit point of the rebels.
Authorities recovered from the encounter site subversive documents, cellular phones, tablets, clothes, wires used for the improvised explosive device, and dodge bullets of M203.
Llanes said the troops were at the disadvantaged position as they were on their way up the terrain when the fully-armed rebels fired at them.
"The rebels knew the entry and exit points in the area as they were staying there for quite long," he added.
Llanes said these rebels were probably those behind the burning of a backhoe, bunkhouse, and other heavy equipment in the dam project of National Irrigation Administration (NIA) in the same village last May 7.
Llanes said the rebels probably planned to overrun the troops and even harassed those who were dispatched there to conduct community programs for the residents.
The military official said NPA's intention was to threaten villagers who do not support them.
"They also wanted to disrupt the election," Llanes added.
Two burning incidents in Kabankalan City and Moises Padilla town while a shooting incident that led to the death of a suspected military asset in Toboso town happened this week.
Despite the recent incidents allegedly perpetrated by the rebels, Llanes assured security to the communities. (SunStar Bacolod)