BACOLOD City – The Calatrava Municipal Police Station (MPS), together with units from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) and the Philippine Army, has intensified pursuit operations following a string of violent attacks on December 7 that left a civilian and a police officer dead in upland barangays of Calatrava, Negros Occidental.
In a statement, the Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) said the first incident occurred around 7:50 a.m. in Sitio Tagda, Barangay Dolis, where a 58-year-old man was shot twice in the head by six unidentified armed men while preparing for Sunday Mass.
Responding teams led by Calatrava Police Chief Captain Jesus Alba proceeded to the remote area immediately after the attack.
At around 10:50 a.m., troops from the 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company (NOPMFC) encountered armed suspects in Barangay Menchaca while serving a warrant, resulting in a brief firefight. Police Senior Master Sergeant (SMS) Rommel Aguilar went missing during the clash.
By 12:30 p.m., a body was discovered in Barangay Laga-an. Authorities later confirmed it was Aguilar. Residents said the officer was seeking help before being shot by the same armed group.
Brigadier General Arnold Thomas Ibay, PRO-NIR regional director, condemned the attacks, describing Aguilar’s death as a “deep tragedy” and vowing that police will exhaust all efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Police and Army units—including the 79th Infantry Battalion and the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB)-NIR—have launched coordinated clearing, dragnet, and hot pursuit operations. The Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOCPPO) also deployed personnel from the Provincial Investigation Unit (PIU) for investigative support.
Continuous scouring operations remain underway in the affected upland areas, with the Calatrava Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) assisting in terrain assessment and movement through difficult locations.
The motive behind the attacks remains under investigation.
Colonel Dennis Wenceslao, provincial director of NOCPPO, assured the public that police and AFP counterparts are maximizing all efforts to secure communities and apprehend the suspects./PN
