Another NPA camp found, 4 SPARU hitmen nabbed

From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 9): Another NPA camp found, 4 SPARU hitmen nabbed

Pursuit operations against fleeing New People's Army rebels by Army soldiers againled to armed skirmishes and the seizure of another NPA training camp in Himamaylan City, while four suspected rebel assassins were intercepted at a police checkpoint Thursday night in Kabankalan City, all in Negros Occidental.

Lt. Col. Darryl Banez, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, disclosed this last night and said the discovery of another NPA training camp in SitioCunalom, Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Thursday afternoon, was preceded by another encounter, as 62IB troopers pressed on withtheir pursuit operations against occupants of the rebel camp seized earlier in the same barangay.

An M-16 assault rifle, three ICOM radios, among other items, were recovered at the vicinity of the discovered rebel camp, which is several kilometers away from the first encampment seized on Dec. 5. No injuries on both sides were reported at of last night.

But the encounter on Dec. 7 in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City, led to slight injuries of two members of the 62IB.

On Thursday night, policemen arrested four suspects, who tried to escape from a checkpoint established by the police in Brgy. 4, Kabankalan City.

Supt. Rhea Santos, Kabankalan City police chief, yesterday said that the arrest of four suspects yielded a .45 caliber Taurus pistol with a magazine containing six ammunition and a .38 caliber Shooter revolver with four live ammunition.

Arrested were Wendel Morales, 21, of Brgy. Baclao, Sipalay City; Ronnie de la,19; and Ariel Rivera, 23, both residents of Brgy. Patag, Silay City, andJoelito Medes, 41, of Brgy.Carol-an, Kabankalan City.

Santos said the 45 caliber pistol was taken from Morales, while the .38 caliber revolver was recovered from de la Cruz.

The four arrested suspects were riding in a single motorcycle with Morales as the driver, investigations of the Kabankalan City police showed. They were intercepted by the police at about 11 p.m. Thursday

Santos said the four suspects tried to go back, when they saw the police checkpoint. But they were intercepted by the police while fleeing from the checkpoint, she added.

Banez said that based on the testimonies of former rebels,the four arrested suspects are members of the NPA Special Partisan Unit.

But Santos said they are still digging into the backgrounds of the four arrested suspects, who, came from different places, in one company, and travelling at almost midnight, with guns.

Banes said he believes that the two NPA training camps could be the staging areas for rebel tactical offensives, in connection with the 49th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the plenum site for their regional leadership.

He confirmed that several police stations in Negros Occidental are being eyed for rebel attacks, based on rebel documents they had recovered previously, including some prominent individuals.

Banes said he strongly believes they were able to foil terroristic activities of the KomitengRehiyonal-Negros, following the recovery of the two training camps, with red fighters, including their supporters, having splintered into small groups.

Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, also said that he already anticipated such rebel attacks, and he and different police commanders have been preparing for them.

While he did not disclose what police stations are be attacked by communist rebels, Banes said the PNP was already informed about it.

Various PNP units in Negros are also in combat mode, and havebeefed the defenses of their police stations.

The 62IB, supported by other Army units the police, are chasing about 100 rebels, who are occupants of the two seized camps, including their trained Yunit Militia members, he added.

Air Force gunships have alsobeen placed on standby, for air support to the ground of the Philippine Army and National Police.

Banes said he acknowledged the support of the residents, especially those family members and relatives of victims of NPA atrocities, in the two hinterland communities of Himamaylan City, who had informed them of the presence of armed rebels in their areas.

http://www.visayandailystar.com/2017/December/09/topstory4.htm