CENTCOM SPOKESMAN SAYS Rebels attacked non-combatants

The Central Command (Centcom) yesterday strongly condemned the attack of New People's Army (NPA) rebels against non-combatant troops at the Charlie Company detachment of the 78th Infantry battalion in Barangay Sumon, Tuburan town last Saturday afternoon, which resulted to the death of three soldiers.

Centcom spokesman, Lt. Col. Jefferson Omandam, yesterday clarified that the soldiers were "non-combatants" and were there as "civic troops" assigned at the place to do community service.

There were a total of nine troops stationed in the barangay and have used the day care center as their detachment.

Omandam said that there might even be a possibility that these rebels even listened to the soldiers while they were conducting meetings with the residents before the attack took placed.

Omandam said that the Central Visayas Regional Party Committee led by their commander Roy Ericre was responsible for the raid. The rebels were from Bohol and Negros, who combined their forces upon their arrival in Cebu.

Based on the report that reached the Cebu Provincial Police Office, The fatalities were identified as Sgt. Rolando Luna, the team leader; Cpl Bobby Licuno; and Pfc Joseph Bingil.

Tuburan Police Chief Crisanto Duque said that he will meet with the officials of the 78th IB to get the results of their own investigation, which will be used for the filing of cases against the rebels.

Duque said that the rebels used the 'tabo' (market day) as their cover disguising themselves as civilians, who were watching the different activities in Barangay Sumon last Saturday afternoon.

The "tabo" was held just ten meters away from the military detachment, which is adjacent to the barangay hall.

Duque said that residents failed to identify them as rebels as their firearms mostly of. 45 caliber and other hand guns were tucked in the different parts of their bodies.

The police chief related that one of the rebels then fired warning shots and shouted to the people to drop to the ground before identifying themselves as rebels.

Pfc. Roger Dagondon, who heading back to the detachment from the market, tried to retrieve his firearm from the building, but stopped on his tracks when he saw that the place was already surrounded. He instead crawled to a bushy area and was aided by the residents in getting a tricycle so he could report the incident to the police.

Some of the rebels, who surrounded the detachment, went to the basketball court to look for Sgt. Rolando Luna. When Luna identified himself, the rebels fired at him and then at Cpl. Bobby Licono, who was also at the basketball court watching the game.

Pfc. Joseph Bingil, who was cooking dinner inside the building, engaged one of the rebels in a hand to hand combat before he was gunned down.

Leah Merayo, who identified herself as a wife of one of the soldiers stationed at the detachment, was on her way to the area when she saw the incident. She rushed back to the motorcycle she was riding proceeded to the police station and was still trembling when she reported the incident to SPO3 Lino de los Santos.

Omandam said, they are yet to verify if Merayo was really a wife of a soldier assigned to the detachment as none of the troops stationed there is surnamed Merayo.

Although there were nine soldiers, who were assigned at the detachment, only five were around last Saturday because one of the soldiers was at the market while the other three went on leave. The fifth soldier, who was supposed to be at the detachment was reportedly not very near the place when the raid took place.

Duque said that after the incident, the police only remained at their station interviewing the witnesses while it was the 78th IB, which is based at Asturias town that conducted a hot pursuit operation against the rebels.

Duque explained that the police did not leave the police station for fear that the attack might have been a ploy of the rebels to divert their attention and also attack their headquarters. He said that they have also received intelligence reports that the rebels will also attack police stations aside from military detachments.

After the rebels overran the detachment, Duque said that they took with them four M-14, four M-16 rifles, assorted live ammunition, and the personal belongings of the soldiers before fleeing towards barangays Mag-atubang and Mag-antoy.