Soldiers wounded in Negros clashes honored
ILOILO CITY—The Philippine Army has cited two soldiers who were wounded in separate encounters with alleged communist rebels in Negros Occidental, including the April 19 clashes in Toboso town that killed 19 individuals, including two University of the Philippines (UP) students, a community journalist and two Filipino American activists.
Army chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete personally awarded the medals to two members of the 79th Infantry “Masaligan” Battalion for gallantry in action during a ceremony held at Camp Peralta Station Hospital in Jamindan town, Capiz, on May 1.
Nafarrete conferred the Military Merit Medal with Spearhead Device on one of the soldiers for acts of heroism in combat and the Military Merit Medal for meritorious service during tactical engagements on the second one.
During his hospital visit, Nafarrete commended the soldiers for their courage and sacrifice, describing the Masaligan troopers as the “shield of the people” in Western Visayas.
“These medals are symbols of the blood and sacrifice our soldiers offer in the pursuit of peace,” he said.
One of the awardees was wounded in an April 6 clash in Calatrava, the neighboring town of Toboso. The 79th Infantry Battalion has been at the forefront of the military’s operations against remaining members of the New People’s Army in Negros Occidental.
Investigation pushed
Rights groups and former government peace negotiators led by former Agrarian Secretary Hernani Braganza and human rights lawyer Efren Moncupa, among others, have pushed for an investigation of the April 19 clashes that, according to the Communist Party of the Philippines, killed 10 New People’s Army (NPA) members and nine civilians. The civilians included UP students Alyssa Alano and Maureen Keil Santuyo, Bacolod-based journalist RJ Nichole Ledesma and Fil-Am activists Kai Dana-Rene Sorem and Lyle Prijoles.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines, however, has maintained that all 19 fatalities were armed NPA combatants.
Perpetual war
Members of the Makabayan bloc, meanwhile, criticized Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. for opposing the resumption of peace talks with communist rebels, saying his stance undermines the government’s commitment to pursue negotiations in one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies.
“Teodoro’s refusal to even consider talks ‘without precondition’ signals that the Marcos administration is choosing perpetual war, not a sustainable path to peace,” ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Jane Elago and Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co said in a joint statement on Sunday.
