Soldiers, rebels clash anew in Leon

By Jennifer P. Rendon

(Updated to correct the location of the encounter at Buckingham, Leon, Iloilo, not in Igbaras)

No one was injured among government troopers who figured in an encounter with suspected members of the New People’s Army in Leon, Iloilo.

Soldiers of members of the 61st Infantry Battalion were on combat operations when the armed clash happened with around 30 armed rebels at about 2:50PM of January 24, 2020 at Sitio Tabionan, Barangay Bucari.

The firefight lasted for 20 minutes with NPA members withdrawing to different directions.

While there was no body count, operating troops noted traces of blood on the rebels’ escape routes.

Lieutenant Colonel Joel Benedict Batara, 61st IB commander, said the group was led by Melgar “Mar” Besmanos, vice platoon leader of Sibat (SYP) Platoon of the NPA’s Southern Front, Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay under Nahum Camariosa alias Bebong.

The operating troops recovered two anti-personnel land mines, a detonator, wirings, subversive documents, and several cooking utensils.

Batara believed that it could have been the NPA’s temporary harboring area.

“We thank the populace for their timely information. Naunahan natin ang kalaban,” he said.

The Besmanos-led group was also the same suspect behind the attempt to attack a hydro-energy plant based in Igbaras town.

But the plan was thwarted after they clashed with 61st IB troopers around 2PM of June 6, 2020 at Barangay Curocuan, Igbaras, Iloilo.

The group allegedly planned to sabotage the equipment and facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation (CPEC) based in Igbaras.

Military operatives recovered an M16 armalite rifle, various ammunition and magazines, a bandolier, an NPA flag, medical supplies, food packs, assorted propaganda materials, and other personal items.

In November 2018, an encounter also happened between the 61st IB and around 10 armed men.

Aside from their fallen comrade, the NPA also left an improvised explosive device (IED) and a bandolier of 5.56m.

Military troops recovered three gallons of gasoline near the encounter site.

The Army believed that the CPP-NPA planned to utilize it to set on fire the facilities of Century Peak Energy Corporation.

It can be noted that in August 2018, a pickup vehicle ferrying CPEC employees and 61IB personnel was ambushed by the CPP-NPA terrorists wounding one of the employees of the company.

In 2015, the terrorist group torched several heavy equipment of the said company used to construct mini-hydro project in the same barangay.