Negros oriental: The Philippine Army in Negros Oriental on Monday stated that relentless, large-scale anti-insurgency operations have thwarted the communist New People's Army's (NPA) efforts to reclaim its mass bases in the province, following clashes over the weekend. Brig. Gen. Jason Jumawan, commander of the Army's 302nd Infantry Brigade based in Tanjay City, disclosed during a press conference that prior to Sunday's encounters between government troops and 'NPA remnants,' a small group of armed men had been spotted in the hinterland villages.
According to Philippines News Agency, Jumawan noted that this was the same group the Army's 11th Infantry Battalion (11IB) engaged with in skirmishes during the weekend in Sitio Canggabi, Barangay Sto. Ni±o in Tanjay City. A series of four encounters starting around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday resulted in one soldier killed and another wounded during sporadic firefights. Lt. Col. Sol Zaulda, commanding officer of 11IB, identified the deceased as Cpl. Renold S. Gardose, 29, of Barangay Artuz, Tapaz, Capiz, and squad leader of Alpha Company, while the wounded was PFC Janes Tyrone Lozano, 28, of Riverside, Bohol.
Jumawan reported that clearing operations uncovered a makeshift shelter for rebels, where items like two hand grenades, firearm magazines, subversive documents, and personal belongings were recovered. He mentioned that residents had earlier reported armed individuals conducting house-to-house visits in their communities and urging them to gather at night, indicating that the NPA is attempting to recruit a mass base of supporters to regain its strongholds.
He further explained that the dismantled South East Front (SEF) operating in south Negros Oriental of the NPA's Komiteng Regiyon Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor (KR-NCBS) has only four remnants after its dismantlement. The other members of the armed group are believed to be part of the dismantled South Western Front (SWF) operating in central Negros.
Jumawan emphasized that they will not permit the dismantled guerrilla fronts in Negros to recover, as the brigade has launched tactical offensives to pursue the insurgents who scattered in different directions following Sunday's clashes. He reiterated a previous commitment that the Philippine Army will remain in Negros Oriental despite only a few remnants left in the dismantled guerrilla fronts. 'As instructed by Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, we will be holding both the ISO (internal security operations) and the territorial defense operations,' Jumawan stressed.
