5 rebels killed in Negros clash

BACOLOD CITY — Five members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in a clash with government troopers in Barangay Quezon, San Carlos City, some 144.3 kilometers north from here, late Wednesday night, Col. Jesus Manangquil, commander of the 11th Infantry (Lapu-Lapu) Battalion, confirmed yesterday.

Manangquil said that the rebels belonged to the Regional Sentro de Gravidad-Komiting Rehonal Negros-Larangang Guerilla 3 (RSDG-KRN-LG3) operating mostly in the areas of Don Salvador Benedicto, Calatrava, Toboso and San Carlos City, all in Negros Occidental.

He said that government troops, led by Lt. Ric Villaruel, were patroling the area at around 10 p.m. Wednesday when they chanced upon a truckload of people traversing towards Canlaon City, Negros Oriental.

The military forces tried to stop the group for identification but the passengers fired at them, prompting the soldiers to retaliate, Manangquil said.

The clash resulted to the death of five NPA rebels while some were able to escape, he said adding that there were an estimated 20 red fighters on board the vehicle.

Recovered in the area were five high powered firearms that included two M-16 Armalite rifle, one FAL, one M-14 Armalite rifle and one Garand rifle and 19 backpacks with assorted documents with high intelligence value and personal belongings, Manangquil said.

Moreover, 303rd IB Commander Gregorio Fajardo denied claims that the armed rebels were on their way to Cebu for the ASEAN Summit. The rebels were going to Canlaon City, he said.

Government troops and some 7,200 rebels have clashed repeatedly as the military tries to wipe out guerrillas in key areas within the two-year deadline set earlier this year by President Arroyo. The clashes have dimmed hopes of a resumption of the stalled Norwegian-brokered peace talks.

Two years ago, the rebels withdrew from the talks on how to end 37 years of insurgency, saying the government was not making efforts to remove them from the US and European terror lists.

The 7,200-member NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a Maoist insurgency since 1969, making it one of the world’s longest running communist rebellion. — With AP, AFP