NPAs kill soldier, militiaman in Davao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – A soldier and a government militiaman were killed and another one was wounded in an ambush by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels late Tuesday afternoon in a hinterland village in Toril district here.

The incident took place just a few hours after communist guerrillas killed two soldiers and wounded four others in Laak town in Compostela Valley.

Maj. Jake Obligado, chief of the 10th Civil Military Operations Battalion, a squad of the Army’s 84th Infantry Battalion, said the soldiers were on a peace and development mission in Barangay Simbulan when they were waylaid at around 3:50 p.m. Tuesday.

Obligado identified those killed as Pfc. Ronald Castrodes and militiaman Melvin Ontic. A certain Pvt. Alvin Parco was wounded.

“Our soldiers were carrying foodstuff on behalf of the residents when they waylaid by the rebels,” said Lt. Col. Lyndon Panesa, spokesman of the 10th Infantry Division.

He said the villagers were celebrating their fiesta and the soldiers volunteered to help transport their food supplies as their community is a four-hour uphill trek. – With Jaime Laude