BACOLOD City – Two intelligence operatives of the Philippine Army’s 15th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Barangay Tiling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental were killed in an ambush on Saturday in the town’s Barangay Yao-yao.
Police identified the fatalities as Private First Class Alaster Balboa, 37, of Zamboanga City and Corporal Jhoerom Meguillo, 33, of North Cotabato.
The victims were onboard a motorcycle when attacked by more or less 30 armed members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
The victims were tasked to visit Community Support Program teams in Sitio Lu-oy.
They died of multiple gunshot wounds to the body, according to the Cauayan police.
They were rushed to the Cauayan District Hospital but the attending physician declared them “dead on arrival.”
The issued .45-caliber pistols and four hand grenades of the victims couldn’t be found during the retrieval operation the Army. They were believed to have been shanghaied by the rebels.
ARMY CONDEMNS ATTACK
The 15IB commander, Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Cariño, said the soldiers sacrificed and risked their lives “to protect Negrenses so we can have peace.”
“We honor the heroism of our fallen comrades and will ensure that justice will be served,” he added.
Meanwhile, Colonel Leonardo Peña, commander of the 302nd Brigade, condemned the killing.
“This senseless attack proved once again that these communist terrorist groups are human rights violators,” Peña stressed.
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division also vowed to give justice to the victims.
“They (assailants) will pay the price,” said Major Cenon Pancito III, 3ID spokesperson. “Our soldiers were not in combat mode. They were in civilian attire (in the time of the attack).”
He added: “These rebels have just proven how cowardly they are in waging a fight against government troops. They cannot face us in battle so they resorted to an ambush.”/PN
