TACLOBAN CITY-A soldier and a barangay chairman were shot to death by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) operating in Las Navas town, Northern Samar in separate incidents.
Last Saturday(July 10),Crispin Mordido,37,village chairman of San Andres, about 10 kms away from the town proper, was killed by NPA rebels while he was visiting at the nearby village of Lourdes at 12:40 pm,Police S/Sgt.Rex Tapalla, officer-on-case, said that.
“He was on board of a motorcycle to visit his cousin, (Lourdes village chairman Charlie Openion) when he was shot several times by at least four armed men which resulted to his death, “Tapalla, in a phone interview, said.
A doctor at the rural health unit declared Mordido as dead on arrival.
While they received information that the suspects were reportedly to be rebels, the police officer said that they are still conducting their investigation on the incident and to determine the identities of the suspects who fled after the incident.
Meantime, in another attack staged by the rebels,
Private First Class John Vincent Bocaboc died after he and his team belonging to the 20th Infantry Battalion engaged the rebels in Barangay Victory in a 15-minute firefight last Friday (July 9) night.
Lt.Sarah Jean Escubio, civil military officer of the battalion whose camp is based in Brgy.San Jorge in the same town, said that the group of Bocaboc was in the village as part of their community support program which aims to help villages cleared from the influence of insurgents.
Escubio said that Bocaboc was the sentinel of their group when he noticed presence of a man who was armed.
This immediately resulted to a firefight between the government forces and the rebels which resulted to the immediate death of Bocaboc who was hit at the different parts of his body.
A village watchman, Arnil Bantilo, was hit on his feet while a bullet from the rebels grazed on the head of a six-year old girl.
Both are now treated at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital in Catarman, Northern Samar.
This incident was condemned by the military saying that the rebels would do everything as they continue their terroristic activities even hurting civilians.
Las Navas is one of the towns in Northern Samar where there is still a presence of rebels.
The Philippine national Police earlier augmented the security forces in the town with the derailment of its elite Special Action Force. (JOEY A. GABIETA/RONALD O.REYES)
