MAKILALA — Police authorities have identified the three members of the communist New Peoples’ Army (NPA) killed in an encounter with government forces in Barangay Luayon here on Monday.
Sr. Supt. Jonathan Tangonan, police provincial director, identified the NPA fatalities as Roger Sikin Labajo Jr. of Datal Batong, Malungon, Sarangani; Raymart Rusiana, 25, of Makilala; and Armand Mendoza, 39, of Barangay Nuling, Lebak, Sultan Kudarat province.
At 4 p.m. Tuesday, a certain Jennily Sikin Alam arrived at the Makilala police office to verify whether one of those killed in the clash with militiamen in Luayon was her nephew.
“She told the police that she received a call from unidentified caller informing her nephew was among those killed,” Tayong said.
Alim was accompanied by Makilala PNP to view the body at the Collado Funeral Parlor in nearby Kidapawan City. Relatives also identified earlier the bodies of Rusiana and Mendoza in same funeral parlor.
Tangonan said the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion turned over to the North Cotabato police a Taurus 9mm pistol that the military recovered from one of the slain NPA guerillas. It has the markings “Property of the Philippine National Police,” and a record check with the PNP Crime Laboratory showed it was owned by a slain police officer from Davao del Sur.
Tangonan said the pistol was originally issued to PO2 Manolo Lazate Booc, one of the police officers killed when the NPA attacked Matan-ao police station in Davao del Sur on March 10, 2014.
“The firearm would still undergo ballistic examination to determine if it was used in executing police officers in the region,” he said.
A militiaman, identified as Julito Apalan, was killed while six of his comrades were injured when an undetermined number of NPAs belonging to Guerilla Front 75 attacked the military’s Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) detachment at 12:30 a.m. Monday in Barangay Luayon here.
The pre-dawn attack sparked a five-hour firefight between the militiamen and NPA rebels that resulted to the deaths of Apalan and the three insurgents.
The CAFGU members held their position until reinforcement from the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion arrived to aid them in repelling the rebels. (PNA)
