Two rebels killed in gunbattle

Two suspected rebels died in an encounter with government troops in southern Negros Occidental.

The suspected New People’s Army (NPA) hitmen clashed with troopers of the 94th Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City yesterday Dec. 14.

Brig.Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, disclosed that 94IB troopers responded to reports of civilians, on the presence of armed NPA rebels in their community and this resulted to a gunbattle between Army troopers and about seven fully armed rebels, who later withdrew from the encounter site.

The fleeing rebels left behind their two slain comrades, identified as Florida “Kelly” Ceballos, secretary of the NPA’s Central Negros 2, Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, and Wifredo “Dino” Fuentes, the courier of Central Negros 2.

Their remains were brought to the city proper this morning.

Initially recovered from the encounter site were two .45 caliber pistols, assorted explosives, and subversive documents.

Three days earlier, a former government militiaman was killed by suspected NPA rebels in Sitio Cantupa, Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, police chief Lt. Col. Romeo Vargas said.*