FALLEN HERO. Soldiers carry a body of a soldier who perished in a bombing and gunbattle in the upland Pinanag-an village of Borongan, Eastern Samar. Local officials in Eastern Samar province were saddened over the death of six soldiers in Borongan City after the New People’s Army detonated landmines and ambushed them Monday afternoon (Nov. 11, 2019). (Philippine Army photo)
TACLOBAN CITY -- Local officials in Eastern Samar province were saddened over the death of six soldiers in Borongan City after the New People’s Army (NPA) detonated landmines and staged an ambush Monday afternoon.
The 30-minute gun battle after the blasts that also wounded 20 soldiers of the 14th Infantry Battalion is a very sad incident that happened in a peaceful province, Eastern Samar Rep. Maria Fe Abunda said in a statement issued Wednesday.
“We don’t want this to happen again. My office is open for dialogue that will lead to ending armed struggle since conflict is detrimental in achieving development goals,” said Abunda, a former three-termer mayor of Borongan City, the provincial capital of Eastern Samar province.
Abunda expressed her condolences to the families of the six soldiers who perished in Pinanag-an, a remote village in Borongan, situated more than 30 kilometers away from the city center and accessible through pump boat ride and hiking.
Killed were Sgt. Rex Jadulco, Cpl. Ronald Go, Cpl. Limar Banug, Pfc. Kent Loyd Agullo, Pvt. Charlie Del Rosario, and Pfc. Junmar Buranday.
A communist terrorist was also killed during the armed encounter.
Easter Samar Governor Ben Evardone also expressed his sadness over the ambush of the soldiers in a statement.
"The incident the other day in Barangay Pinanag-an, Borongan City, was very unfortunate, tragic and a clear act of barbarism. Definitely, this will not sit well in our desire to attain just and lasting peace in Region 8 in particular and the whole country in general," the governor said.
"But this will not cow us or deter us from pursuing peace and development in the region. We must relentlessly mobilize all our resources not only to bring justice to our fallen heroes but to ensure peace, stability, and development in the region," Evardone added.
As a token gesture of support to our fallen heroes, the provincial government of Eastern Samar will give PHP25,000 cash or livelihood assistance to the families of six casualties and PHP10,000 to each wounded.
Arteche, Eastern Samar Mayor Roland Boie Evardone said the death of their townmate Pfc. Kent Loyd Agullo is sad news since the fallen soldier served to achieve peace.
"Kent Lloyd is a son, a brother, a friend, a hero and pride of Arteche. Until his last breath, he made us proud,” Evardone added.
“The local government and the residents of our town are in grief with the news and we express our condolences with the family of soldiers who perished and praying for the speedy recovery of those who are wounded," he said.
The mayor reiterated their stand to declare the NPA persona non grata in Arteche town through a resolution signed on August 6, 2019.
Pursuit operations against the communist terrorist group are still ongoing, Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division spokesperson, Capt. Reynaldo Aragones said.
“Although we suffered losses, this doesn't mean that we have to abandon our duty in pursuing against the rebel and on our fight for a peaceful land,” Aragones said.
“We are thankful to the people of Eastern Samar for providing us information about the presence of the communist members in their area, although this resulted in the death of our soldiers, this also helps us in monitoring their presence,” the official added.
Acting on reports from civilians, the three platoons were heading to an NPA lair also being used for bomb-making when rebels detonated six anti-personnel landmines and fired on soldiers.
The military has repeatedly condemned the NPA for using landmines in their attacks, showing disrespect for basic human rights. The terrorist attack also disregards the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA)
