BACOLOD CITY — Some 236 residents from 51 households fled their homes after the clash between government troops and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels over the weekend in Barangay Tan-awan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, the police said.
They were housed at the covered court and gymnasium of the village.
The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office reported on Sunday night that the residents were from Sitio Atubon, the site of the encounter which claimed the lives of two Army soldiers and wounded eight others, and also from the neighboring sitios Mapait, Buko, Cagay, Alusiman, Bunsod, and Calangcang.
The report also said that starting Sunday morning, Police Officer 1 Rogyn Bandola of Kabankalan Police City Station assisted the personnel of City Social Welfare and Development Office led by Cyril Ramos in the distribution of relief goods.
During the clash early Saturday morning, killed were Sergeant Sandy Arevalo and Private First Class (PFC) Vicente Marcon while those wounded were Sergeant Niño Nabaunag, PFC Angelito Bariga, PFC Michael Besana, PFC Voltair Catamin, PFC Kenneth Cerbo, Private John Daryle Delgado, Private Ryan Las Piñas, and Private Joven Taghap.
Around 5:30 a.m., the soldiers were conducting patrol and combat clearing operation in Sitio Atubon ahead of Monday’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections when they encountered about 60 rebels in a firefight that lasted for almost an hour.
The same group of rebels are believed to be behind the torching of the heavy equipment and bunkhouse in the dam project of National Irrigation Administration, also in Barangay Tan-awan on May 7. (Nanette Guadalquiver/PNA)
