700 evacuees return home after clash

By: Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – The 700 evacuees from two villages in Escalante City, Negros Occidental returned to their homes last Tuesday night after the encounter between the military and New People’s Army (NPA) at Barangay Paitan over the weekend.

A report from the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) said the 200 families who were temporarily sheltered at Paitan Elementary School and Libertad Elementary School were allowed to go home around 7 p.m.

These families were composed of 329 individuals from Sitios Kagayon, Mansano and Morino of Barangay Paitan, and 371 persons from Sitios of Tabunok and Mina-oco of Barangay Libertad.

They were advised to go home after the three-day clearing operations ended in relation to the clash between the troops of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) and the rebels at Barangay Paitan last Saturday.

The clash brought three soldiers wounded in action, and five reported casualties on the NPA side.

The Army said the evacuation was done because they wanted to make sure that the people are safe when they returned to their respective homes.