BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
JAMINDAN, Capiz — Major General Aurelio Baladad, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, has appealed to the New People’s Army (NPA) to lay down their arms.
He aired the appeal following an encounter on Monday in Brgy. Lahug, Tapaz, Capiz, which wounded a soldier.
“NPA rebels have deprived the people of peace and development in their communities. It has been the desire of the people of Capiz and the rest of Western Visayas for just and lasting peace to reign in the region,” Baladad, said.
A 36-year-old corporal, Genifer Gaston of Kabankalan, Negros Occidental, was wounded in the encounter that lasted for one hour and 45 minutes.
He sustained gunshot wounds on both legs and is now recovering at the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters here.
Gaston told his superior, Brigadier General Arnold Quiapo, that he was giving water to an old woman when he heard a burst of gunfire.
“Our wounded soldier managed to fire back,” Quiapo said.
Before the encounter happened, residents from the area had alerted the army on the presence of lawless armed elements. It prompted the government soldiers to respond immediately.
The rebels were allegedly threatening the civilian populace to give in to their extortion demands.
Baladad also said, “A lot of our people have suffered and we need to end this internal conflict. We will continue to secure the communities from lawless armed elements and further intensify our peace and security operations.”/PN
