Bulacan board member killed in Mindoro ambush

CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — A provincial board member of Bulacan and an Army soldier were killed while three others were wounded when suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed them in Sta. Cruz, Mindoro Occidental last Friday afternoon, police said.

Chief Superintendent Delfin Genio, police director of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan), identified the fatalities as Bulacan second district board director Warlito Trinidad, 41, and Pfc. Angelo Ray Barrios, of the Army’s 80th Infantry Battalion.

Wounded in the ambush were a certain Pfc. Camarinas, Trinidad’s brother-in-law Ruel Galvez, of Balagtas, Bulacan, and Noel Ambito, of Mamburao, Mindoro Occidental.

Reports said Trinidad, together with a group of miners and investors identified as engineer George Bagoongan, Rene Baldras, Jay Parson Pajayon, a Taiwanese businessman surnamed Lee, Galvez and Ambito, left Barangay Talapaan, Mamburao town at about 10 a.m. on board a red pick-up.

Genio said Trinidad’s group, accompanied by an eight-man team of the 80th IB’s Alpha Company, was visiting the mining site of Green Gemstone in Sta. Cruz town.

Police said Trinidad and his companions were about to cross a river in Sitio Sibahuyan in Barangay Alacaap, Sta. Cruz town at about 4:30 p.m. when some 30 NPA rebels fired at them, killing Trinidad and Barrios on the spot.

A 15-minute firefight ensued, after which the rebels retreated to the mountains.

Bulacan officials, led by Gov. Josie de la Cruz, mourned the death of Trinidad, a first-term board member.

"He is a big loss to the provincial government, especially to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan," De la Cruz said.

Vice Gov. Aurelio Plamenco and board members Pacifico Aniag, Patrocinio Laderas, Boy Tamayo, Jon-Jon Mendoza, and Glen Santos shared the governor’s sentiment.

They all waited for the arrival of Trinidad’s remains at the Villarin Funeral Homes in Bocaue town yesterday morning.

Plamenco said it took Mindoro authorities at least 27 hours to retrieve Trinidad’s body from the ambush site.