BY DOMINIQUE GABRIEL BAÑAGA
BACOLOD City – The municipal government of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental launched a relief operation last week to 1,046 evacuees affected by the deadly clashes between the government and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Barangay Quintin Remo.
The distribution of relief goods was led by Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, councilors Dowen Michael Ogatis, Joenes Frias, and Cipriano Remo, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6 representatives as well as the Social Welfare and Development Office of the town, the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), and barangay officials.
Yulo thanked the provincial government and DSWD-6 for the support.
The Philippine Army, meanwhile, advised the evacuees not to return to their houses yet as clearing operations were still ongoing.
They also discouraged residents from supporting the NPA.
The Army has identified the two soldiers killed in Wednesday last week’s clash: Corporal Biencent John Trero of Barangay To-uy, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental and Private Cesar Ian Eleuterio of Barangay Jaena Norte, Jamindan, Capiz.
Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines, commanding officer of the 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB), said the sacrifices of the two soldiers were not in vain. The Army, he said, would be more relentless in pursuing peace and development to end the local armed conflict in the province.
Both Trero and Eleuterio were airlifted to a hospital in Cebu City following last Wednesday clash but later succumbed to their wounds./PN
