Rebel killed, army wounded in Negros Oriental encounter

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AN alleged member of a communist terrorist group (CTG) was killed while a soldier was wounded in a series of clashes in Barangay Humay-Humay, Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental on Thursday. The encounters prompted dozens of fami-lies to flee their homes.

According to the 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) of the Philippine Army, the firefight began at around 6:07 a.m. when troops from the 62nd Infantry (Unifier) Battalion (62IB) engaged with nine alleged remnants of the Central Negros 1, disman-tled unit of the Komiteng Rehiyon–Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor.

The encounter lasted for about five minutes, resulting in the wounding of a soldier who sustained a shrapnel injury to the right thigh.

He is currently in stable condition, according to the army.

Lt. Col. Evelio Ilanga, commander of the 62IB, said the encounter occurred at Sitio Tubigan and resulted in the death of Tony Pahayay, also known by the aliases "Aldren" and "Redol."

A resident of Barangay Bulado, Pahayay was believed to be part of Squad 2, Sentro de Gravidad, under the Central Negros 1 guerrilla front.

"Former rebels and community informants helped confirm the identity of Pahayay, whose body was found holding an Armalite rifle and wearing a black shirt bearing the NPA's emblem," Ilanga said in his report on Friday.

He said that Pahayay had likely separated from a larger group of about nine armed men who engaged troops in two earlier skirmishes Thursday morning.

Soldiers recovered an M4 rifle, an M16 rifle, ammunition, cooking utensils, personal belongings, and alleged subver-sive documents from the encounter sites.

Pahayay's body was taken to a funeral home in Guihulngan City for post-mortem examination, though no relatives have come forward to claim his remains.

There were skirmishes early in the day, with the first encounter happening at around 6:07 a.m., and the second com-bat occurring at 6:51 a.m. and the third at 12:10 p.m. in Sitio Tubigan, where troops reportedly encountered three re-bels in a blocking position. It was during this engagement that Pahayay was killed.

Another confrontation occurred at 1:45 p.m. during a pursuit operation, marking the fourth skirmish of the day be-tween government forces and the armed group.

3ID commander Brig. Gen. Michael Samson said the death of the alleged CTG member is "a tragic consequence of a lost cause that only brings suffering and hopelessness."

"To the remaining members, I urge you to abandon the armed movement and return to your families and communi-ties," he added.

Meanwhile, 52 families or 209 individuals have evacuated from their homes due to the clashes. They are staying in four evacuation centers located in the villages of Calamba, Tacpao, Bulado and Humay-humay.

The local government has begun distributing food and basic necessities to the displaced families, while the army con-tinues to assess the security situation before allowing residents to return home.