Photos by NOCPPO
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) clarified that the recent incident involving members of the Calatrava Municipal Police Station and an alleged Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) was not an ambush but an encounter. The confrontation took place at Sitio Kalanugan, Barangay Minapasuk, Calatrava, around 9:40 AM on Wednesday.
NOCPPO Deputy Provincial Director for Operations, Police Lieutenant Colonel Joem Malong, stated that a joint military and police operation was conducted to serve arrest warrants against high-ranking officials of the New People’s Army (NPA), including individuals like Darry Dayawan and Charity Amacan.
According to the official, there were military and police personnel already present in the area before the Calatrava MPS group encountered the rebels. The police are currently verifying whether both sides engaged in the incident.
Malong added that a separate shooting incident occurred later in the day, resulting in the fatalities of Felix and Eliseo Resotay.
Initial reports indicate that the Calatrava MPS responded to the shooting incident, but while en route, their patrol car triggered a landmine, causing the officers to exit the vehicle. Police Corporal Jayme Nuñez, 34, was injured in the blast and was subsequently attacked by the rebels.
Police Corporal Dennis Nasis, also injured in the encounter, is currently under treatment in a stable condition at a hospital in Bacolod. Their deputy chief-of-police, Police Captain Jesus Alba, has been discharged after treatment.
