5 militants die in Cagayan road collision

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines – Five members of a militant group were killed while two others were critically injured when the van they were riding smashed into the rear end of a 10-wheeler truck in Alcala, Cagayan before dawn yesterday.

Three of the five fatalities were identified as van driver Salvador Doniego, Benedicto de Leon and Ileen Robles, who all died on the spot when their Starex van struck the truck which was carrying cases of soft drinks.

Both the Starex van and the delivery truck were northbound when the accident happened along the national highway in Barangay Piggatan, Alcala town.

The two injured, identified as Randy Batobalanos and a certain Felipe, were still in critical condition at the Cagayan Valley Medical Center in Tuguegarao City.

Gretchen Valdez, Isabela chapter head of the militant group Bayan, said some of the victims were members of Anakpawis, another militant group based in Manila. 

Reports said the victims had come from Manila and were on their way to Gonzaga town, also in Cagayan, to attend a meeting with their local counterparts and other groups on the controversial black sand or magnetite mining reportedly taking place along Cagayan’s northern coast. 

“They went there to validate the (findings) of a recent investigative work conducted by an environmentalist group on the ongoing mining in the area,” Valdez said.

Police said the truck driver, Florentino Felipe, gave himself up after the accident.