Army vows to dismantle NPA remnants before end-2023

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – Nabibilang na araw nila (Their days are numbered).

This was stressed by Brigadier General Orlando Edralin, commander of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), referring to the remnants of Central Negros (CN) 1 and 2 of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros island.

Edralin said the remnants of these groups are on the run. But they are optimistic that with the cooperation and assistance of the people and the national and local government units (LGUs) they will be declaring these two groups dismantled not exceeding the end of the year.

Edralin said they have not neutralized all the leaders of these groups, but the death of Rogelio Posadas, alias “Poten,” an alleged secretary of NPA’s Regional Committee in Central Visayas, had a significant effect on the NPA rebels.

Posadas was killed in a 10-minute firefight with the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) and 94th IB at Sitio Cabite, Barangay Santol, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental on April 20.

“Na vacuum ang leadership nila that’s why nagkakagulo sila. Walang namumuno sa kanila para magbigay ng direction,” Edralin said.

Edralin said that there are at least nine remnants of CN 1 who are on the run.

With the efforts of the Army troops, Edralin said these remnants will have difficulty to reinforce because they are territorial.

Thus, Edralin reiterated his call to the remaining NPA rebels to surrender or they will suffer the same fate as their nine comrades who were killed in a series of clashes with the government forces in the previous weeks.

Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson also urged the active NPA rebels to come down and live a peaceful life.

“Nobody wins in a war. We are extending our open arms to them asking them to join their former comrades, who have surrendered,” the governor said.