THE 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army engaged in a firefight with suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Barangay Guadalupe, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Monday morning, April 16.
About 30 armed men believed to be NPA members fired at the government troopers who were conducting community security patrol following complaints from residents against the alleged harassment and extortion from the rebels.
The firefight lasted for 20 minutes. No casualties were reported.
Recovered from the campsite, which can accommodate 30 to 40 persons, were a solar panel, subversive documents, and other personal belongings owned by the rebels.
In a press release Monday, April 16, Lieutenant Colonel Emelito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of the 79th IB, said: "It is a clear indication that the community themselves don't want the armed NPA terrorists to conduct extortion, harassment and recruitment of minors as part of their group."
"With our continuous combat operation against the communist terrorists, we encourage the rebels to lay down their arms, return to the folds of the law and avail the Government's Comprehensive Local Integration Program and live a normal and peaceful life," Logan said.