Army insists children caught in crossfire, not fired upon by soldiers
TACLOBAN CITY - Despite claims by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that the two minors killed in a crossfire between soldiers and armed rebels in Brgy. Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar, were ambushed, the 8th Infantry Division maintains that the communist New People's Army (NPA) terrorists indiscriminately fired upon the soldiers.
"The Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion fired their weapons indiscriminately on a group of peasants tending their coconut kiln (koprahan) in Barangay Roxas, Catubig, Northern Samar," the CPP said in a statement.
It added that the alleged "indiscriminate firing against the peasants was an act of retaliation after another smaller team of the 20th IB lost two men in an NPA ambush earlier that day."
Two boys ages 12 and 13 were killed during the alleged ambush launched by the CPP-NPA Terrorists (CNTs) against the Army 803rd Infantry Brigade on Feb. 8. Another person, identified as Arlie Libay, 26, was also reportedly hurt during the incident.
"The victims have spoken. One of the children that died in the hospital narrated to his parents that the gunshots came from the direction of NPA. Other survivors tell the same story," Capt. Ryan Layug, 8th Infantry Division spokesperson said.
He added that last year, three villages in Northern Samar were simultaneously strafed by the NPA that even wounded one of their soldiers.
"The terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF has been existing for the past 53 years because they are so creative in making lies and deception. After all, how can we expect them to tell a single truth when they cannot even tell their real name," he said.
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.
"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," Peñaredondo said.
The firefight lasted for about 20 minutes.