Slain soldier in Abra brought home, hailed as hero

CAMP MELCHOR DELA CRUZ, Isabela—An Army soldier killed in a recent gun battle with New People’s Army rebels in Abra province was hailed a hero as his remains were brought home to Caloocan City, the military said Tuesday, July 12. Army Captain Rigor Pamittan, 5th Infantry Division public affairs chief and spokesperson, identified the slain soldier as Corporal Arnold Gringo Sabdain, 34, of the 24th Infantry Battalion in Abra.

“The 5th Infantry Division soldiers condole [with the family] of their comrade, who bravely sacrificed his life to protect the people of Abra against the atrocities of the (rebels). Such gallantry saved the residents of Barangay Buneg,” Pamittan said.

The Army soldiers clashed on July 9 with guerrillas of the NPA’s Komiteng Larangang Guerilla-North Abra, Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee.

The military said it deployed its troops to Buneg in Lacub after receiving reports about the NPA presence, resulting in a 15-minute gunfight. INQ