Stay on active defense, Army units told
All unit commanders of the 3rd Infantry Division in Western Visayas are instructed to be on an active defense and conduct security operations to preempt possible tactical offenses by New People’s Army rebels.
The instruction by Major Gen. Vicente M Porto came after a detachment of the Cafgu Active Auxiliary in Sitio Polopangyan, Brgy. Bug-ang in Toboso, Negros Occidental was overran by NPA rebels posing as members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of the Philippine National Police.
The incident resulted in the killing of detachment commander, Staff Sgt. Efraim Bagonoc, and the wounding of two Cafgu members, Jimar Villanueva and Ariel Solitario.
The rebels also carted away 24 firearms, including two M-16s, 10 M-14s, and 12 M1-Garands.
The rebels, numbering about 20, claimed to be members of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros’s North Negros Front, a report from the 3rd ID public affairs office stated.
Porto reminded his men to be “very vigilant of any possible enemy ploys such as posing as friendly forces to be able to gain access to military camps/facilities and eventually pursue their planned atrocities.”
The 3rd ID will not be deterred by this display of force of the NPA rebels, he said, adding that they will ensure these bandits will be captured, the firearms returned, and the perpetrators prosecuted under the full force of the law.*
