BACOLOD CITY – One-hundred fifty-four residents or 29 families were affected by clashes between government forces and the New People’s Army in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on Thursday, April 4.
THE town of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental was the site of encounters between soldiers and communist fighters.
Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo said the municipal government, with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has extended assistance to affected residents who temporarily sought shelter in a church.
Troops fought five remnants of the dismantled Central Negros (CN) 1 Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor when they responded to reports on the presence of unidentified armed men in the area.
A member of the Sangay Yunit Propaganda (SYP) of CN 1, 24-year-old Marlo “Malot” Catacio, was killed in the encounter.
Recovered from the encounter site were a KG9 sub-machine gun with a magazine and ammunition, a rifle grenade, a bandolier, a pancho, two backpacks, medical paraphernalia, and subversive documents with high intelligence value.
Pursuing troops clashed with fleeing rebels, after which a .38 caliber revolver with three bullets, a rifle grenade, a bandolier, and three magazines with 29 serviceable 5.56mm ammunition were recovered.
No casualties were reported on the government side.
The Army said Catacio, who was accompanied by members of the NPA-Special Partisan Unit (SPARU), was allegedly involved in a shooting incident on August 6, 2023 in Barangay Quintin Remo, in which a 28-year-old laborer, who was reportedly accused of feeding information about the NPA to the Army, was killed.
Catacio’s mother said that her son was not an active NPA rebel but he surrendered to the Army last year after she encouraged him for his safety.
She also said that her son had no weapon and the firearms recovered after the clashes were just planted.
Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, denied the allegations.
Edralin said that Catacio was identified by his former comrades in the armed struggle as an active rebel. “We sympathize and condole with the bereaved family of Catacio,” he said.
Yulo said that they will extend burial assistance to the family of Catacio. She hopes that there will be a long-term solution to address the insurgency problem especially in the upland areas.