Two suspected members of the Rebolusyonaryong Hukbo ng Bayan, a splinter group of New People’s Army, yesterday died in an encounter with Army soldiers in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.

1Lt. Joselito Dalida, 61st Infantry Battalion Civil Military Operations chief, identified the two slain rebels as Gerry Domingo, alias Ka Temyong/Dencio, and Irene Barrientos, alias Ka Rhea.

Dalida said the presence of an armed group in the place, was relayed to them by residents who, he said, fed up with the extortion activities of the rebels.

The encounter lasted for almost 15 minutes, and the rebels scampered in various directions, leaving the bodies of their slain comrades, he said.

Recovered from the encounter site were two .38 caliber revolvers, a .45 caliber pistol, two fragmentation grenades, three cell phones and subversive documents.

Dalida said there was no casualty on the government side.

Military records show that there are 10 armed RHB members operating in the upland areas of Cauayan and Kabankalan City.

Dalida attributed the success of their anti-insurgency campaign to the full cooperation of the masses and partnership between the local government units and the military in southern Negros.

The remains of the two victims were brought to the DND Funeral Parlor in Kabankalan City, where they can be claimed by their families.

The RHB, which was formed by the disgruntled leaders of the CPP-NPA in the late 1990s, used to have 30 armed followers in southern Negros.

Military records also show that RHB members have been linked to a series of robbery-hold-up and extortion activities, especially in the hinterlands of Cauayan and Kabankalan.*GPB

back to top