Militiaman securing farmers event killed

TAGO, SURIGAO DEL SUR — The festive atmosphere that accompanied the installation of a water system in the village of Lindoy here turned into a nightmare when a militiaman, tasked to secure the event, was gunned down on Tuesday by suspected communist guerrillas.

Captain Francisco Garello, spokesperson of the 36th Infantry Battalion, said Reymond Besinga, 21, single, and resident of the neighboring village of Bajao, was killed on the spot when three suspected NPA gunmen attacked their platoon led by Sgt. Danilo Balandang. The platoon was tasked to secure the event.

A bullet hit the victim’s nape and exited on his neck.

The turn over of water pump was part of the follow up support services of  “Project Kapalayapaan,” an initiative of the 36th IB to help farmers of Lindoy. A manually operated “turtle” tractor, also donated by the 36th IB, which should have been used to plow the rice paddies for the occasion, stopped in the midst of the commotion./lb