400 individuals displaced in Kabankalan clash

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – A total of 122 families composed of 441 individuals were evacuated following a clash between the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) and suspected New People’s Army (NPA) at Sitio Dangalon, Barangay Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental last Thursday.

Captain Melvin Rosal, civil military operations officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), said the clash happened at the boundaries of Kabankalan City and Himamaylan City.

As of 11 a.m. yesterday, 61 families, or 232 individuals were staying at the gymnasium of Barangay Hilamonan, while three families, or 15 individuals were at the Barangay Buenavista Hall in Himamaylan City, according to Rosal.

Rosal said that 24 families or 136 individuals were at Paloypoy Integrated School, and 34 families, or 170 individuals are at Paloypoy Church, both in Barangay Buenavista.

The encounter happened while the 94th IB were conducting combat operations in response to information about the alleged presence of about 15 armed members of SDG Platoon, Central Negros 2 in the area allegedly extorting medicines for their wounded comrades, according to the Army. The firefight lasted for about 20 minutes.

Seized from the encounter site were an M16 rifle, an M4 rifle, two short magazines for M16, 11 rounds of 5.56mm live ammunition, a bandolier, a backpack, and personal belongings.

Based on the 94IB’s reports, the said group of NPA rebels suffered casualties, including the death of their member in the armed engagement in Himamaylan City on May 3. Hence, they were seen by some residents allegedly roaming and extorting medicines at Sitio Dangalon for their other wounded comrades.

Rosal said the evacuees were already provided with food packs from the local government of Himamaylan and Kabankalan. He added that they already gave clearance for them to return to their respective homes.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, 303rd IBde commander, said the recovery of high-powered firearms will surely reduce the capacity and weaken the capability of the NPA to stage their activities in the province.

Edralin warned the NPA rebels for relentless and more aggressive combat operations in the coming days and weeks, as they are determined to wipe out the NPA rebels in Negros.

“If they refuse to surrender peacefully, we will hit them hard to prevent them from conducting more illegal activities and atrocities,” he said.

On May 3, some residents in the two villages of Kabankalan and Himamaylan were also affected following a clash that killed an NPA rebel and wounded three others, including two soldiers and a female civilian at Sitio Ulo-Tuburan, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City.