Soldiers arrest 'rebel' after Negros firefight

A suspected member of the New People's Army was arrested by the military while firearms and ammunition were seized in a two-day operation by the 61st Infantry Batallion in Sta. Catalina, Negros Oriental last Tuesday. A satellite camp of the rebels was discovered by the soldiers where an M-16 Armalite rifle was left inside one of the bunkers after the rebels fled and escaped during the operation.

Capt. Renante Besa, Public Information Officer of the 61st IB, said that the first encounter was in sitio Haluay, barangay Nagbinlod, Sta. Catalina town last Tuesday morning.

Besa said that the camp that was discovered can accommodate up to 30 people and they suspect that it was used as staging point of the operation of the rebels of the place.

Besa added that they found bloodstains in what they believe was the escape route taken by the rebels leading them to suspect that there were people wounded in the firefight.

He said that the NPA rebels have several camps similar to the one that their unit had discovered, but these are in areas that could not be reached by vehicles.

A day before the said camp was discovered by the military, an estimated 30 suspected NPA rebels exchanged fire with the Alfa Company of the 61st IB led by 2nd Lt. Ronald Puarol. The firefight lasted for about 30 minutes until the rebels retreated and scampered to different directions.

The military however had difficulty pursuing the escaped rebels as carefully positioned snipers reportedly kept the soldiers at bay.

Bravo Company also of the 61st IB, which took part in the pursuit operation in the afternoon, arrested Roel Lastimoso alias Ka Tata.

The suspected rebel yielded a .357 revolver with six live ammunition and an improvised shotgun locally known as "pugakhang." The arrest was made at sitio Tubod of the said barangay. Besa said that nobody from their unit was hurt during the gunbattle and they are still relentlessly pursuing the rebels.

The spokesman of the battalion added that a certain Ka Rambo of Larangang Guerilla 5 under the Kilusang Rehiyong Negros led the group of rebels. - Norvie S. Misa and Flor Z. Perolina