NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – An alleged communist rebel was killed in a gun battle with state forces in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, on Friday, July 7.

According to the dispatch of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Battalion based in Murcia town, the troops received a tip from a discouraged rebel member who expressed frustration with the leadership and operations of the group, and spoiled the whereabouts of his companions.

After receiving the information, the military said one of its units conducted a security patrol to check the veracity of the information.

The patrol resulted in an initial gun battle lasting 10 minutes in Sitio Pangi at around 7:30 am on Friday.

The Himamaylan City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) said in a report sent to Rappler that the office logged 167 families or 765 individuals who have fled their homes and farms since the initial gun battle first broke out on Friday morning.

Hundreds of villagers rushed to the Carabalan gymnasium to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

A second gun battle ensued two kilometers away from the previous site for another 10 minutes, leaving a dead body behind, the military added in a statement.

Identity of the slain suspected rebel is yet to be identified, the Army and police officials said.

Crying in fear

Merlyn Garnica, a 46-year-old mother of five, said she was resting in their house while feeling unwell when the armed skirmish broke out. 

“Sang nakabati na ang mga bata ko sang lupok, ang una ko nga nabatian abi ko motor lang nga ga andar. Siling sang bata ko: motor nga, dako-dako nagid na nga lupok, indi kapa da mag lagyo ma? Himos na ma!” she said.

(“When my children heard a pounding sound (referring to the sound of guns), I initially thought it was just the sound of a motorcycle starting out, but my child said: how come? Can’t you hear that loud thumping sound? Are you not going to leave the house? Secure your things, mother!”)

Merlyn added her youngest son was crying in fear as he called for his father, who was, at that time, out of their residence to look after their livestock in a neighboring sitio.

In a neighboring city of Kabankalan, the gun battle also roused anguish and anxiety among members of the close-knit clan and their neighbors.

Psychosocial support

The Himamaylan City Social Welfare and Development Office told Rappler in a phone interview it conducted a psychosocial and stress debriefing support session for the displaced families of Carabalan village to help them process the psychological effects of the recent clash.

The sitios affected include Cabalungan, Jaladoon, Pangi, and Cabagnasan.

CSWDO added it has already distributed family food packs to the evacuees.

With clashes marking the government’s efforts to deal decisive blows against Asia’s oldest communist insurgency, people have taken shelter in gymnasiums, churches, schools, barangay multi-purpose halls, and the newer disaster emergency centers in town and city centers.

Return home

Residents from the affected sitios that bore the brunt of the fighting between government troops and communist rebels in Barangay Carabalan have already received clearance to return home on Saturday morning from military and local government officials.

Government troops were able to seize one M4A1 rifle loaded with magazines and ammunition, two backpacks, extortion letters, and personal belongings.

In a statement, 94th Infantry Battalion Commander Lieutenant Colonel Van Donald Almonte expressed his gratitude to the anonymous informant for providing information on the whereabouts of his former comrades. 

In a separate statement, Visayas Command Chief Lieutenant General Benedict M. Arevalo lauded the troops for their unwavering commitment to ending the local armed conflict in the region. – Rappler.com