BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Fighting continues to rage in the countryside of the island as the Communist-terrorist New People’s Army “desperately” tries to win back areas lost to government that is gaining with its renewed counterinsurgency campaign.
And, as the El Niño phenomenon deepens the dead season in Sugarlandia, Communist rebels are desperate all the more to recover lost areas to postpone death and a decisive loss in the island as hunger and loss of mass support continues to strangle the insurgents here that the Army foresees it can defeat by end of 2023.
The latest clash in Santa Catalina town Thursday , 24 August 2023, showed the NPA is running out of room to escape, former rebels told DNX.
“They are now focusing on recovering their lost areas,” Army Lieutenant Colonel J-Jay Javines told DNX as he confirmed the death of a government soldier and the killing of a ranking front-level cadre in the brief firefight between at least 10 terrorist rebels in the mountain community of Taleo in Milagrosa village in Santa Catalina, a town in Negros Oriental province more than a two-hour drive from here.
Javines, now public affairs officer pf the Army’s Third Infantry Division based in Jamindan town, Capiz province, said in a dispatch that the rebels that clashed with a rifle unit of the 11th Infantry Battalion are “remnants” of the Southeast Front and included the squad medical officer Ruby Almines alias Ka Kende who was reportedly killed in battle.
The CPP’S front leadership structure is usually composed of a secretary, an organizational deputy, an educational deputy, a finance officer, and a medical officer.
The brief said the 11th Battalion acted on “information fed by locals” who reported on the presence of the rebels.
“They are now trying to recover their dismantled or severely weakened fronts to ensure their survival,” Javines said of the rebels’ thrust.
Javines used to command the 79th Infantry Battalion that was credited for dismantling the NPA’s Northern Negros Front.
Army commanders Brigadier General Joey Escanillas of the 302nd Brigade and Third Division chief, Major General Marion Sison, praised the dead trooper, whose name has yet to be released, for his sacrifice.
Escanillas said this will push them to fulfill their mission in defeating the enemy.
Sison, meanwhile, said it will not dampen the spirit of the Spearhead Troopers, but will further serve as our motivation to aggressively pursue the remaining members of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG).
