BACOLOD City – A soldier was wounded Monday morning, April 6, in a series of clashes between the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) and remnants of the dismantled Northern Negros Front (NNF) in Barangay Minautok, Calatrava, Negros Occidental.
The government troops reported two successive encounters in Sitio Pinyahon and Sitio Proper starting at 8:35 a.m. The firefights, which lasted approximately 15 minutes, involved about seven armed rebels.
One soldier was injured during the initial contact. While no rebel bodies were recovered, 79IB reported finding bloodstains along the withdrawal routes, suggesting injuries among the fleeing group.
The skirmishes also displaced at least 25 households, with affected residents currently staying at evacuation centers.
Following the encounter, government troops recovered an M16 rifle with a defaced serial number, several magazines, an NPA flag, and various supplies.
Military authorities identified the rebel group as followers of Roger Fabillar, also known as “Arnel Tapang.” Fabillar, who carries a P1-million bounty. Fabillar is the primary suspect in several killings in northern Negros and faces multiple murder charges.
Major General Michael G. Samson, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, credited the successful operation to “timely information” provided by local residents.
“The successful engagement underscored the critical role of information from residents in supporting military operations,” Samson said.
He added that the Army remains relentless in its focused operations to neutralize remaining insurgents in the Negros Island Region.
Samson also renewed his call for the remaining rebels to surrender and avail themselves of the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) and amnesty initiatives.
As of press time, intensified military operations were ongoing in Northern Negros to secure the area and prevent insurgent resurgence. (Watchmen Daily Journal)/PN
