Army chief honors soldiers wounded in Negros clashes

By Jennifer P. Rendon

Philippine Army chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete has conferred awards on two soldiers wounded in combat operations in Negros Occidental.

The soldiers, both members of the 79th Infantry Battalion, received the awards May 1 while confined at Camp Peralta Station Hospital inside the 3rd Infantry Division headquarters at Camp Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz.

Nafarrete pinned the Military Merit Medal with Spearhead Device and the Military Merit Medal on the soldiers in recognition of their courage and dedication to duty.

The two soldiers figured in separate encounters with members of the communist terrorist group, or CTG.

The first clash occurred April 6 in Sitio Proper, Barangay Mina-utok, Calatrava.

The second encounter happened April 19 in Sitio Sinugmawan and Sitio Plarinding, Barangay Salamanca, Toboso.

Nafarrete commended the soldiers for their bravery, saying their actions “exemplify the highest standards of military service and reflect the commitment of the Philippine Army to safeguard the nation and its people.”

The 79th Infantry Battalion is under the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, which oversees internal security operations in Western and Central Visayas.