The military sees the dismantling of the Central Negros (CN) fronts of the New People’s Army (NPA) by the end of the year, a top Philippine Army official here said on Wednesday. Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (303IB) based in Murcia town, Negros Occidental province, said the CN1, whose fighters were encountered by troops of the 62nd Infantry Battalion (IB) in Moises Padilla town on Tuesday, now only has nine members. ‘We are very optimistic that with the cooperation and assistance of the people and national and local governments, not exceeding the end of the year, we will be declaring CN1 and CN2 as cleared,’ he said on the sidelines of the Regional Peace and Order Council-Western Visayas meeting here. Edralin said the leaders of both Central Negros fronts are ‘still on the run’, but the death of Rogelio Posadas, secretary of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor, had left a vacuum. ‘That’s why nagkakagulo sila (they are at a loss) because they don’t have a leader to direct them. Their days are numbered that’s why we are asking them to surrender,’ he added. Posadas was killed during a clash with troops of the 94th IB at the boundary of Binalbagan and Isabela towns on April 20. On Tuesday morning, two NPA fighters died in a series of encounters with 62IB troops in Barangay Macagahay, Moises Padilla. Also in Moises Padilla last month, five communist rebels died during skirmishes in Barangay Quintin Remo.
Source: Philippines News Agency