BROUGHT BACK HOME. Troops of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion loads the coffin of the late New People's Army leader Roland Maglasang inside a vehicle to bring his remains back to his family in Barangay Dapiwak, Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur. Maglasang's body was abandoned by his comrades following a clash on May 12, 2022 in Leon Postigo town, Zamboanga del Norte. (Photo courtesy of 53IB)
ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Army’s 53rd Infantry Battalion (IB) and the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) of the Zamboanga del Sur town of Dumingag have facilitated the return of the remains of a rebel to his family.
Lt. Col. Jo-ar Herrera, 53IB commander, said Tuesday that Rolando Maglasang, former commander of the defunct Guerilla Front-BBC of the NPA's Western Mindanao Regional Party Committee (WMRPC), was killed in an encounter with government troops last May 12.
Herrera said Maglasang's body was abandoned by his comrades during the encounter in Barangay Midatag, Leon Postigo, Zamboanga del Norte.
“Our humanity and professionalism do not stop even after our enemy is neutralized. Even though they're dead, we still accord them respect,” Herrera said in a statement.
Meanwhile, Brig. Gen. Leonel Nicolas, 102nd Infantry Brigade commander, condemned the rebels' “blatant disrespect” for basic human rights.
“This is the treacherous tactics of the leadership of these CTGs (Communist Terrorist Groups), they abandon their fallen comrades just to save themselves from the might and power of our government forces,” Nicolas said in a statement Tuesday.
Mayor Joan Abejuela, chairperson of Dumingag MTF-ELCAC, said that the municipal government will provide financial support for Mobin's family. (PNA)
