NPA leader, 18 other rebels slain in Negros
BACOLOD CITY—At least 19 alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA), including a wanted rebel leader with a P2-million bounty, were killed in a series of encounters with Army troops in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, northern Negros Occidental, on Sunday, officials said on Monday.
Brig. Gen. Ted Dumosmog, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said soldiers from the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) engaged the rebels after receiving information from residents about their temporary encampment in Sitio (sub-village) Sinugmawan.
The initial firefight broke out around 4 a.m. As the rebels attempted to flee, blocking forces intercepted them, triggering a series of running gun battles until 3 p.m.
Pursuit operations later led troops to a fishpond area in Sitio Plaringding, where the bodies of the slain rebels were recovered, Dumosmog said.
Among those killed was long-wanted rebel leader Roger Fabillar, who also used the aliases Arnel Tapang, Jhong, Nono, and Domeng.
Dumosmog said Fabillar had a P2-million bounty on his head, put up by private stakeholders, including businessmen who were earlier victims of extortion activities.
Summary executions
He was also linked to the alleged summary execution of at least 36 civilians accused of being military informants in northern Negros since 2025, as well as cases of arson and extortion, the Army official said.
Dumosmog described the operation as a major setback for remaining NPA forces in northern Negros, citing the loss of their leadership structure. He added that the 19 fatalities marked the highest number of rebel deaths recorded in a single encounter in Negros since the 1990s.
During the operation, troops recovered 19 assorted firearms, including M203 grenade launchers, hand grenades, and explosives. One soldier sustained two gunshot wounds to both arms and is being treated in a hospital in Bacolod City.
Personnel from the Philippine National Police Scene of the Crime Operatives later retrieved the remains for identification on Monday.
Displaced villagers
Meanwhile, Toboso Mayor Richard Jaojoco said 168 families, or more than 600 individuals from Barangays Salamanca and San Jose, evacuated their homes for safety amid the fighting. He said they are awaiting clearance from the Army before returning.
Escalante City Mayor Melecio Yap also reported that more than 200 residents near the boundary of Escalante and Toboso evacuated as a precaution.
On Saturday, a separate encounter between Army troops from the 15th Infantry Battalion and three alleged remnants of the dismantled South West Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros took place in Sitio Lomboy, Barangay Caliling.
Capt. Jessie Jun Ebalan, public affairs chief of the 3rd Infantry Division, said the rebels fled after a 30-minute running gun battle, leaving behind firearms, rifle grenades, blasting caps, and ammunition for shotguns and M16 rifles.
