BACOLOD City – Sixteen soldiers and 17 policemen received commendation medals for demonstrating bravery in a series of encounters against communist rebels in southern Negros Occidental last week.
Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB), awarded led the awarding rites held at the headquarters of the 62nd Infantry Batallion (62IB) in Barangay Libas, Isabela, Negros Occidental on Monday.
“I am happy to award our troops for their offensive spirit displayed during encounters for the past weeks,” said Arevalo.
The awardees were soldiers of the 31st Division Reconnaissance Company (31DRC) and policemen of the 6th Regional Mobile Force Battalion 6 (RMFB6).
On Oct. 6, the troops of 31st Division Reconnaisance Company encountered more or less 15 NPA- terrorist at Sitio Bugo, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.
During the encounter, Patrolman John Imedio Gallero Javier was slightly injured in a combat operation with Army soldiers in Sitio Basak, Barangay Tan-awan in Kabankalan City.
After a 15-minute gun battle, the estimated 10 communist rebels retreated.
Soldiers recovered a rifle grenade, two magazines of AK 47, 117 rounds of 7.62 live ammunition, and electrical wires for anti-personal mines, among others.
The encounter in Kabankalan followed the pursuit operations of troops from 31st Division Reconnaissance Company who fought with some 15 communist rebels in neighboring Himamaylan City last Sunday.
This is the 5th time for troops of 62IB received medals from Arevalo since he assumed command on Oct. 29 last year.
The awarding was followed by a traditional military “boodlefight” as a simple celebration of the said accomplishment./PN
