BACOLOD CITY – Two members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to the Army 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) following a gun battle in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Wednesday, November 8.
The Army withheld the names of the two rebel returnees for security reasons.
According to the Army, troopers were conducting a Community Support Program (CSP) when they received a tip from a concerned resident about the presence of armed persons believed to be remnants of the Central Negros 2 (CN2) in the area around 9:40 a.m.
In response, soldiers conducted a security patrol that led to an encounter against nine rebels. The firefight lasted for about 15 minutes.
Lt. Col. J-jay Javines, head of the 3rd Infantry Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO), said the clash resulted in the recovery of three M16 rifles, an M4 rifle, a Garand rifle, three long magazines and 12 short magazines for M16, and two magazines for M14.
Also seized were three bandoliers, two backpacks, a generator, a pair of rainboots, and a cache of subversive documents.
Lt. Col. Van Almonte, 94th IB commander, said that the steadfast support, cooperation, and collaborative efforts of the community in the ongoing battle against insurgency in Barangay Buenavista has been instrumental in the successes achieved by the unit. "The support of the villagers serves as a clear sign that the NPAs have lost their grip on their once-strong mass bases,” he added.