3 soldiers killed in NPA attack

BACOLOD CITY — Three Army soldiers, one of them a junior officer, were killed in an ambush staged by about 30 New People’s Army (NPA) guerrillas in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental the other day.

The fatalities were identified as 1Lt. Jason Regner, commander of the 11th Infantry Battalion’s Charlie Company; S/Sgt. Edwin Allen and a certain Pvt. Javier.

Police said Regner and three of his security escorts were on their way to Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental to deliver the combat boots of government militiamen when they were ambushed by the NPA guerrillas led by Virgilio Paragan, alias Ka Hassan, in Barangay Linuthangan.

SPO4 Wilfredo Villoria, deputy police chief of Canlaon City, said Javier died while being treated for his gunshot wounds at the Canlaon City District Hospital.

Col. Gregorio Fajardo, 11th IB commanding officer, said the lone survivor, a certain Pvt. Oca, was able to return fire at their ambushers.

The attack took place three days after suspected NPA guerrillas waylaid militiaman Rogelio Helacio, his wife and their four-year-old child at the boundary of Barangays Villegas and Planas in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

Helacio was hit in the right elbow but his wife and child were unhurt, although terribly shaken by the incident, the military said.

Military records show that Paragan used to be a member of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade in southern Negros but defected to the New People’s Army in 1999.

He was tagged as the leader of the NPA unit involved in the summary execution of three civilians two years ago.