3 rebels killed in San Joaquin clash
ILOILO – Three members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were killed in an encounter yesterday with the Army’s 61st Infantry Battalion (61IB) in Barangay Torocadan, San Joaquin, Iloilo.
The three fatalities, who were all males, have yet to be identified.
According to Lieutenant Colonel J - J ay J av i n e s , spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division ( 3ID), p e r s o n n e l f r o m 6 1 I B responded to the information f rom the residents that armed men were seen in the mountainous area of the said barangay.
The clash erupted at around 3:20 a.m. when soldiers from 61IB encountered at least 20 armed men believed to be members of the Southern Panay Front, Komiteng Rehiyon- Panay ( SPF KRPanay), under the leadership of Nahum Camariosa, alias “Bebong.”
Several surveillance planes have been deployed but no air strikes were carried out, the Army clarified.
F i v e h i g h - p o we r e d firearms ( four M16 rifles and one AK- 47 rifle), three bandoleers, one commercial radio, and nine backpacks containing the personal belongings of the rebels were recovered after the encounter.
“The soldiers also saw traces of thick bloodstains on the withdrawal routes, indicating that there were members of the rebels who suffered severe wounds,”
Javines said.
As of writing, pursuit operations are still ongoing, and residents were advised not to venture into their farms and to stay in evacuation areas
for safety.
A stress debriefing was conducted for the 119 affected f amilies f rom Barangay Torocadan and its neighboring Barangay Lomboyan.
On t he other hand, Brigadier General Michael Samson, head of the 301st Infantry Brigade (301IBde), through the 61IB, launched a