ILAGAN, Isabela, Philippines – The six soldiers slain in last Friday’s ambush by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels while on their way to a civic mission in Mt. Province were given posthumous awards for gallantry while in the line of duty.
No less than new Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin personally bestowed the awards to the families of the slain soldiers whose bodies lie in state at Camp Melchor de la Cruz, headquarters of the Army’s 5th Infantry (Star) Division, in Gamu town.
Last Friday’s ambush was the first major setback of the Northern Luzon Command under the Aquino administration.
It came in the wake of Gazmin’s call on the rebels to first lay down their firearms before peace talks with the more than three-decade old insurgency movement could resume.
Gazmin, together with Armed Forces chief of staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David and Army chief Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Ma-pagu, arrived here early yesterday morning to personally honor the six slain soldiers.
A P100,000 cash assistance was also given to each of the families of 1st Lt. Lito Punio; S/Sgt. Melchor Castro, 34; Cpl. Cornelio Balmes, 24; and Privates First Class Camilo Topinio, 30; Windel Gazzingan, 31; Antonio Bunagan, 26; and James Tio-an, 25.
Each of the families will also receive at least P200,000 in additional benefits, including those from the Military Mutual Assistance Fund.
As added benefits, the children of the slain soldiers will also get scholarships or educational assistance from the Armed Forces.
Meanwhile, the remains of the slain soldiers will be brought to their respective hometowns today after farewell rites by the 5th ID command led by Maj. Gen. Rommel Gomez.
The slain soldiers, all belonging to the Army’s 502nd Reconnaissance Mission, were slated to extend help to a medical mission in Bontoc, Mt. Province last Saturday when they were waylaid by some 20 guerrillas of the NPA’s Kilusang Larangay Gerilya in Sitio Sugit, Barangay Samoki in Bontoc town.
Col. Loreto Magundayao, chief of the 5th ID’s civil-military operations battalion, said the soldiers still managed to fire back, killing a number of their attackers.