Army officer dies in clash with rebels

CEBU, Philippines - An officer of the 47th Infantry Battalion was killed in a firefight between his troops and the New People’s Army rebels at Cauayan town in Negros Occidental Tuesday morning.

Captain Reylan Java, spokesman of the 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division, identified the slain soldier as 2nd Lt. Jose Angelo Esguerra.

Esguerra’s troops were on their way to Brgy. Basak of Cauayan when fired upon by the rebels in Brgy. Tuyom of the same town. The soldiers were conducting peace and development works when the incident happened, said Java.

The wounded Esguerra was immediately brought to Kabankalan Doctors’ Hospital but he died along the way.

Colonel Oscar Lactao, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade based in Murcia, Negros Occidental, said the attack against soldiers doing peace and development works is an attack against the poor people in the hinterland communities.

“The NPA doesn’t want to improve the lives of these people; its armed struggle continues to claim the lives of our countrymen instead. Now, another mother will weep,” Lactao said.

Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd ID commanding general, extended his sympathy and support to the family of Esguerra, and assured them that the life of the fallen soldier would not go in vail. “Esguerra will be always remembered as a true hero and advocate of peace,” he said.

“We regret that our call for peace was answered by this treacherous act of the NPA rebels. This senseless act of terror will not impede our resolve to bring peace in our communities. We remain steadfast and continue to offer peace to the NPA rebels until they realize the futility of the armed struggle,” he said.

Tuesday’s encounter came a day after Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. lashed back at the NPA by calling the group as “anti-progress” and “anti-peace.”

More than an hour before the Cauayan encounter, troops of the 32nd Division Reconnaissance Company clashed with NPA rebels at Brgy. Talalak in Sta. Catalina town of Negros Oriental. No one was hurt from the government side while it was believed that the rebels suffered casualties as shown by the blood stains at their site.

The soldiers, led by 2nd Lt. Jan Batay-an, were also conducting peace and security operations when fired upon by around seven rebels who eventually withdrew after a 5-minute firefight leaving behind a backpack containing subversive documents, one bandoleer with four magazines and five live ammunition, and a hand grenade. - THE FREEMAN