An alleged leader of the New People's Army was killed in an encounter with soldiers in Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental, while his comrades disarmed a former member of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade linked to killings in northern Negros , the military yesterday said.

Maj. Nathaniel Villasor, 303 rd Infantry Brigade Civil Military Operations chief, yesterday identified the slain rebel leader as Rene Yap, alias Dax, a member of the executive committee of the Komiteng Rehiyonal- Sentral Bisayas, operating in southern Negros .

A certain Ka Jack was captured by soldiers during pursuit operations, the military also said.

Villasor said Yap died in a 15-minute gunbattle with soldiers of the 61 st Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Talalak, Santa Catalina, Negros Oriental on Monday.

Military records show that Yap was among the cadres and red fighters of the New People's Army who fled from Bohol, Cebu and Leyte due to military operations, and reactivated the KT-Sentral Bisayas in Negros island last year.

Villasor said the death of Yap will create a vacuum of leadership in the KR- Sentral Bisayas, which is among the three guerilla fronts targeted for dismantling by the 61 st IB by 2010.

A fragmentation grenade, personal belongings and subversive documents were recovered from the encounter site.

Disarmed of a 357 magnum revolver by members the NPA Jean Pelle Command in Sitio Tanquinto, Brgy. Mabini, Escalante City was a certain Jhunmar Sante, a former member of the RPA-ABB operating in northern Negros .

The Jean Pelle Command, in a statement, linked Sante to the killing of Pedro Trabajador, an organizer of the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers, and Raymar Pilarez, all in Escalante City.*GPB/RG

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