TACLOBAN CITY — Two alleged members of the Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) and two civilians were killed, while another civilian was injured in a supposed ambush encounter between the Army 803rd Infantry Brigade and armed rebels in Brgy. Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar.
Reports of the 8th Infantry Division on Thursday disclosed that the communist NPA terrorists indiscriminately fired against the troops, hitting civilians.
This resulted in the death of two minors, a 12-year-old boy on the spot, and another 13-year-old boy while being treated at the hospital.
Another man identified as Arlie Libay, 26, was also reportedly injured but is now in stable condition.
Col. Perfecto Peñaredondo, 803rd Brigade Commander, said that he dispatched troops in response to a tipster’s information about the presence of a group believed to be members of the Front Committee 15 of Sub-Regional Committee 'Arctic' of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee, under Rosalina Esponilla alias Megan.
Said group was frequently monitored terrorizing and extorting from the people in the Catubig-Las Navas Complex (CATLAS).
"On their way to the reported location of the armed NPA, the troops passed by a group of civilians. They were told to stay behind them because there was a report on the presence of NPAs ahead. While the soldiers were slowly approaching, they were fired upon by the NPAs," Col. Peñaredondo narrated.
He added that the NPAs were just waiting on the high ground nearby.
The soldiers were able to drop but the civilians behind them ran where three of them were hit by bullets.The firefight lasted for about twenty minutes.
Seeing the civilians were hit, the soldiers shifted on protecting the civilians, while the NPA’s immediately fled.
The 12-year-old minor was declared dead on arrival at the Catubig Hospital, while another 13-year-old minor died the following morning while being treated at the Northern Samar hospital.
"Before he died, the 13-year-old boy was able to narrate to the barangay officials that they were hit by NPA gunfire. The 26-year-old survivor revealed that they were behind the soldiers when the NPAs opened fire prompting them to run away but unfortunately they were hit. Consistent with the narrative of the boy, he said the NPA deliberately fired at them," MGen Edgardo De Leon, Commander, 8ID said.
The soldiers also claim that they were able to hit two armed terrorists evidenced by the trail's blood stains.
A Fact-Finding Team composed of personnel from Catubig Municipal Task Force ELCAC, SOCO, and additional personnel from the 20th Infantry Battalion were sent to the area.Said group’s mission is to establish the facts on the incident and determine necessary information that will lead to the filing of cases against the CNT perpetrators.
Meanwhile, Governor Edwin Marino C Ongchuan and Mayor Galahad Vicencio pledged to support the families of the victims.
They also condemned the "barbaric acts" of the CNTs, who, despite the presence of civilians fired their weapons.