BACOLOD City – Over 700 residents were forced to evacuate their homes due to an encounter between government forces and suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Paitan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.
Lieutenant Colonel Emelito Thaddeus Logan, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB), said those evacuated included 371 individuals from two sitios of Libertad, and 329 from three sitios of Paitan, where the clash took place. Five communist rebels were killed and three soldiers were injured during Sunday’s encounter.
Logan added the internally-displaced persons are staying in two schools while government forces are conducting clearing operations.
“I highly appreciate the concerned citizens and the responsive local government unit in extending sincere help in conflict situation,” he said.
On Monday, mayor Melecio Yap Jr. declared the cancellation of classes in Paitan Elementary School and Libertad Elementary School, which serve as evacuation centers, until the two villages are safe and cleared.
The affected residents are being provided with relief goods, food and medical consultation. They are also undergoing stress management sessions.
“The 79IB does not desire the encounter to occur, but it is our duty to render sustainable security operations in our area of responsibility,” Logan said.
He added that 79IB troops conduct preventive actions against the communist-terrorist group in response to the concerns of Escalante residents on the presence of NPA rebels.
During the clash at Sitio Morino, Corporals Homer Aniversario, Ronald Tuhao, and Jerald Caluyo were slightly wounded after they were hit by splinters of the NPAs’ anti-personnel mine.
They were among the troops of 79IB, who engaged in a 45-minute gunfight with some 30 rebels around 6:45 a.m., following reports of NPA presence in the area./PN
