BACOLOD City – A remnant of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed in an encounter with the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) in the hinterlands of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Tuesday, December 2.
Authorities identified the fatality as Ruben “Marcos” Tingal, a squad leader of the dismantled NPA Central Negros 2 (CN2) front.
The clash occurred at around 7:30 a.m. at Sitio Cabagal in Barangay Buenavista.
Lieutenant Colonel Ziegfred Tayaban, 94IB commander, said the government troops were operating in the area following reports of extortion activities by the dismantled CN2, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros.
The firefight lasted approximately 10 minutes, resulting in the death of Tingal. His body was recovered from the encounter site, along with an M16 rifle with ammunition, assorted war materials, and subversive documents of high intelligence value.
Based on military information, Tingal is part of the NPA remnants operating not only in Himamaylan, but also in the adjacent areas of Kabankalan City and Binalbagan town.
They are also believed to be responsible for the killings of civilians in these two localities and the torching of heavy equipment in Barangay Carabalan, also in Himamaylan, in July this year.
Meanwhile, the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army commended the troops of the 94IB and the local residents for their collaborative effort, which led to the neutralization of an NPA remnant.
“This successful operation greatly contributes to our collective effort toward total victory against insurgency in Negros Island. By eradicating all remnants of the communist terrorist group, we prevent them from resurging and threatening the peace we have worked hard to achieve,” said 3ID commander Major General Michael Samson./PN
