BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Philippine Army reported yesterday the rescue of two New People’s Army female recruits, who are minors, while a suspected NPA red fighter facing attempted murder charges was apprehended, following two encounters in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental.
Lt. Col. Melvin Flores, 62nd Infantry Battalion commander, yesterday identified the captured NPA member as Rennel Remasog, 20, resident of Sitio Compound, Brgy Luz, Guihulngan City. Remasog belongs to the SYP Platoon of the Leonardo Panaligan Command, the report said.
Flores, however, withheld the identities of the two female NPA recruits, who are minors, for security reasons.
Remasog is facing attempted murder charges, he added.
Guihulngan City Mayor Jorge Joan Reyes said he was saddened by the continued recruitment of minors by the NPA, stressing that they are being recruited to fight a battle that they do not even fully understand.
“They (NPA) have ruined our children’s future,” Reyes said, as he also strongly condemned the terroristic activities and fabricated lies of the NPA.
Their sanctioned use of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) just proves that this is how they value the lives of their people whom they use as sacrificial lambs, he added.
Ka JB Regalado, spokesman of the Leonardo Panaligan Command, issued a statement dismissing the encounter in Sitio Maluy-a, Brgy. Sandayao, Guihulngan City. He denied that they have a casualty among their ranks.
He claimed that the alleged recovery of war material was fake news, despite identification of the slain rebel by the military.
Regalado even further claimed that they have inflicted 10 casualties on the AFP side as a result of their staged ambush in Sitio Tabago of the same barangay, with no casualty on their side.
Prior to the two encounters, 62IB soldiers also figured in a clash with about 15 NPA rebels in Sitio Uway-uway, Brgy Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.
The encounters in Sitios Maluy-a and Tabago in Brgy, Sandayao, Guihulngan City,on Aug. 13 and 14, led to the death of Rikkim Marosino,21, and the recovery of two 45 caliber pistols, a 12 gauge shotgun, a caliber 22 Carbine rifle, 140 live ammunition of M-60 machinegun, three 40mm high explosives, a commercial radio, a magazine of M16 rifle with 22 ammunition, five back packs with personal belongings, a solar panel, 20 meters of electrical wire for IEDC (Improvised Explosive Device) and half a sack of rice, Flores said.
Despite the propaganda and denials of the NPA, Flores said that the recruitment of minors and the use of landmines by the LPC-NPA just prove that they are clear violators of human rights and the International Humanitarian Law.
“These terrorists are experts in deceiving innocent civilians for their selfish purpose and nonsense ideology,” he added.*
