An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed in a clash with the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Sitio Arum, Barangay Macagahay, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental on Thursday, 05 November.
The deceased was identified as Rio Jacaba, an alleged member of the Yunit Militia of the NPA.
In a press release, Capt. Kelvin Bayaban, Army 3rd Infantry Division civil military operations officer said the members of 62nd Infantry Battalion responded immediately to a report from concerned citizens in Brgy. Macagahay that there was a presence of suspicious persons believed to be communist terrorist in their area.
The troop encountered three alleged members of NPA, one of which was Jacaba while the two others hastily withdrew and fled in different directions leaving behind their dead companion.
The soldiers recovered one Caliber .45 Colt MK IV pistol, a black colored holster, spent cartridges of Cal. 45 and subversive documents believed to be used during the conduct of “mass works” in the area.
“With the Moises Padilla Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MPTF-ELCAC), we will unify and harmonize our peace and development efforts especially with the different stakeholders to end the local communist armed conflict in the municipality of Moises Padilla,” said Colonel Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Brigade Commander.
Pasaporte also thanked the people of Brgy Macagahay for their vigilance in reporting the presence of armed suspicious persons believed to be members of NPA.
He called on the remaining members of the NPAs in Central Negros “to return to the folds of the law and to abandon futility of the armed struggle”.
The Brigade Commander added that members of the rebel groups must take advantage of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) being offered by the government to return to their ‘normal lives’.
