Soldiers recover more
high-powered firearms
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Soldiers of the 62nd Infantry Battalion pursuing the fleeing New People’s Army rebels recovered four more high-powered firearms in another encounter Sunday at Sitio Dhalia, Brgy. Puey in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

The recovery of three M-14 assault rifles and an AK-47 Kalashnikov rifle brought to nine the number of high-powered guns, including the three M-16 armalite rifles and two .45 caliber pistols, seized by government troopers in two days of sporadic armed clashes at the boundary of Brgy. Puey, Sagay City, and Brgy. Bug-ang, Toboso, military records show.

Lt. Col. Efren Morados, 62IB commander, said yesterday that a group of NPA rebels returned to the encounter site, to retrieve their hidden firearms not knowing that some of his soldiers were still in the area,

‘Freed NPA
commander led battle’
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

An arrested New People’s Army commander, who had been released from jail in July last year, after posting a P40,000 bail for robbery-in-band charges, was the leader of the group of rebels who figured in a recent encounter with Army soldiers at the boundary of Toboso and Sagay City, Negros Occidental, Lt. Col. Efren Morados, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, said yesterday.

Hernando Llorente, alias Ka Ador, who was arrested in San Carlos City April last year, led about 17 armed rebels who encountered the 62nd IB troopers on Saturday, Morados said.

While Llorente was unhurt during the encounter, Morados said Joey, alias Boboy, and a brother of Llorente, was reported among the three rebels injured in the brief gunbattle.

Raps, repeal of law pushed
despite rollback in oil prices
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The nationwide rollback in fuel prices yesterday failed to appease Negrenses demanding government action on a gap between prices in Negros Occidental and Metro Manila that they say is still too wide.

The rollback in prices showed Caltex, Petron and Shell with near uniform prices yesterday.

The three firms were all selling diesel at P48.50 per liter, while Silver at Caltex was at P56.49, and Extra Unleaded at Petron and Fuel Save at Shell were at P56.59 a liter.

Man on ledge draws crowd
BY SHIELA GELERA

A 24-year-old man, who climbed the building at corner Araneta-Ballesteros streets in Bacolod City, drawing huge crowd below, reportedly attempted to commit suicide yesterday afternoon but members of the police rescue team managed to stop him.

Justin Occello of Purok Isla, Barangay Villamonte in Bacolod, a jeepney driver, climbed to the third floor of the building and stayed there for several minutes, Fire Officer 2 Marc Stephen Trajeras, of the City Bureau of Fire and Protection said.

Trajeras, a member of the rescue team, told the DAILY STAR that it took them about 10-15 minutes of negotiation before the victim was rescued.