CEBU CITY – Three New People’s Army rebels were killed while a soldier was wounded in an encounter in Bindoy, Negros Oriental last Thursday.
The gunfight started at 4:05 p.m. and lasted for about 30 minutes.
Capt. Cenon Pancito, spokesperson of the 31st IB, said the bodies of two NPA rebels have been recovered.
“We are still trying to retrieve the body of the other fatality that fell in a cliff,” said Pancito.
Pancito said operatives of the 94th Infantry Battalion, which is under the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, and Bindoy Municipal Police Station were on their way to their base after conducting a community security patrol when they received a report that suspected NPA members were conducting extortion activities in Sitio Namunduan, Barangay Cambudlas.
On their way to Cambudlas, the joint Army and police team was fired upon, triggering a gunfight.
Based on the blood stains found in the area, several members of the NPA were wounded, Pancito said.
Among those recovered in the encounter site were a shotgun, one bandolier with magazines and live ammunition, a rifle grenade, medical supplies and paraphernalia, and subversive documents.
Pancito said the Army has been manning different border control points since it is part of the task force in the fight against the COVID-19.
“We have monitored a number of armed groups who tried to sabotage the efforts of the government in the Social Amelioration Program distribution and other relief operations to help the people,” said Pancito.
Pancito said the government did not violate any ceasefire agreement when the encounter took place.
“There was no ceasefire agreement. There was a unilateral ceasefire on the part of the Philippine Army because of COVID-19 but there was no consideration whether the NPA will declare or not a ceasefire,” said Pancito, who added the unilateral ceasefire ended last April 15.
Pancito shrugged off reports that the NPA is lifting its own ceasefire.
“We don’t care with the lifting of their ceasefire. That is part of our mandate to kill them if they do not surrender. This shows that the NPA is not sincere when they say they are pro-people. What they’re doing is extorting from the people, stealing relief goods, recruiting people to go against the government. These are not coincidental, there is an intention to harass the populace and the government,” Pancito added.
Pancito said it was the sixth encounter between government troops and NPA rebels amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Before Thursday’s encounter, we have recorded two encounters in Negros, two in Iloilo, and one in Bohol. Four soldiers were killed and four others were wounded in those encounters,” Pancito said.
Police Col. Julian Entoma, chief of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office, said pursuit operations are ongoing against the communist rebel group. (Calvin Cordova and Glazyl Masculino)
