122 NPA personalities neutralized in Negros

From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 23, 2022): 122 NPA personalities neutralized in Negros (By GILBERT P. BAYORAN)

The Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade has reported that it neutralized 122 New People’s Army leaders and combatants in almost a year of focused military operations in northern and central Negros.

Of the 122 neutralized rebel personalities, 66 are members of the Central Negros 2, Central Negros 1 – 39, Northern Negros Front – 12, South West Front – 3, and two others at the Regional Operational Command of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros/Cebu/Bohol/Siquijor (KR NCBS).

Among the neutralized key leaders of KR NCBS were Romeo Nanta, regional commander of the NPA in Negros, who died in an encounter with Army soldiers in Brgy. Carabalan, Himamaylan City; and Ericson Acosta, deputy secretary of KR NCBS; according to Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander.

Pasaporte also reported that the 303rd Infantry Brigade infantry units also initiated 42 encounters that led to the killing of 29 rebels whose cadavers were recovered at encounter sites, six others were captured in gun battles, 10 were apprehended, while 77 others surrendered.

In the series of gun battles with NPA rebels, 83 firearms were also recovered, he said.

Early this week, 14 former rebels also availed of P20,000 livelihood grants each from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, as facilitated by the 303rd Infantry Brigade and Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.

Pasaporte said that there is now an ongoing leadership crisis and organizational problems within the KR NCBS, after several of its key leaders died in gun battles and the surrender of many of their combatants.

“The rebels influence, capability and manpower will continue to decline due to the continued security operations being conducted by the Brigade, supported by the different components of PTF ELCAC (Provincial Task Force Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict)”, he added.

https://visayandailystar.com/122-npa-personalities-neutralized-in-negros/