BACOLOD CITY – Around 366 individuals were affected by the encounter between the New People’s Army (NPA) and the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Sinugmawan, Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental on Sunday, April 19.
1st Lt. Fevie Fajardo, 79th IB civil-military operations officer, said troopers clashed with the dismantled North Negros Front (NNF) led by Roger Fabillar with aliases Arnel Tapang and Jhong at around 3:58 a.m.
Mayor Richard Jaojoco said that 230 people from Barangay San Jose, and 136 persons in Barangay Salamanca, were displaced by the conflict, but are all safe and being sheltered in evacuation centers.
He urged people to keep praying for peace and protection amid the insurgency-related incident.
This encounter against the group of Fabillar, who is wanted for several killings in northern Negros, came two weeks after the 79th IB also clashed twice with the same group in Barangay Minautok, Calatrava, Negros Occidental on April 6, which wounded a soldier.
The military linked Fabillar’s group to a spate of killings in the towns of Toboso and Calatrava, as well as murder cases in Escalante City, Negros Occidental. A bounty of P1 million has been offered for Fabillar’s arrest.
Meanwhile, the 15th IB encountered remnants of the dismantled Southwest Front-Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros in Sitio Lomboy, Barangay Caliling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental on Saturday, April 18.