An
Army Scout Ranger was killed in action while two others were critically wounded
including a rebel returnee after a squad of government troops conducting patrol
in the outskirts of barangays Aloha, Rizal and Behind the Clouds in Batuan town
were ambushed by a band of around 20 members of the New Peoples Army (NPA) around
11:30 noon yesterday.
Col.
Jesse Dellosa, who just assumed last week as commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade
identified the slain ranger as SSgt. Sulpicio Dalmacio Jr. of the Scout Rangers
unit based in Sagbayan town.
He
bared that the rebels likewise suffered an undetermined number of wounded comrades
during the running gun battle which lasted for almost an hour.
The
two casualties were identified as Corp. Dennis Hibanada and CAFGU Julito Jamil.
The
latter, a rebel returnee, was guiding the Army squad in conducting the patrol. | | | Hibanada
and Jamil were immediately air-lifted yesterday afternoon to the Army Central
Command in Cebu City.
Military
units from the 15th IB based in Bilar town and the Rangers base in Sagbayan were
immediately dispatched to reinforce the squad.
The
government troops were not able to immediately set-up a counter maneuver, Dellosa
said, as the communist insurgents were positioned on high ground over the military
troops. |
Moments
after the encounter, the rebels disengaged and scattered to escape, according
to Dellosa.
Dellosa
described the battlesite as "very isolated and houses were distant,"
the commanding officer said while assuring no civilians were hurt.
When
the government troops overran the rebels' ambush position, they recovered personal
belongings including some food.
The
Army squad was conducting its regular patrol when they were ambushed yesterday.
The
302nd IB commander said that the NPAs here are not staying in camps but with their
supporters where they are conducting 'mass work' trying to recruit sympathizers
as their ranks have dwindled during the past two years.
The
rebel group that carried out the assault could be a part of the small NPA band
stationed in the area which are the remnants of Front-1, Dellosa said.
NO
PLACE FOR NPA'S
Dellosa,
who recently assumed as new 302nd brigade commander replacing B/Gen. Arthur Tabaquero,
had said that Bohol is "one of the most peaceful assignments" in his
battle-scarred and heavily decorated career as a Scout Ranger.
During
yesterday's interview with the Chronicle the new commander said, "NPA's have
no place to be with peace-loving people like the Boholanos."
"We
will make this place peaceful," he said, but welcomed surrenderees pursuant
to the government's policy to guarantee the rights of rebel returnees.
FACT
FINDING MISSION
A
fact-finding mission was immediately organized yesterday engaging government agencies,
non-government organizations and members of the media.
The
team will go to the battle site today and start their investigations.
Human
rights group Task Force Karapatan has also set out a fact-finding mission. (With
reports from Danny Reyes) | 
