Military mum on identities of passengers in a boat that exploded in Catbalogan

Samar map

TACLOBAN CITY — Military officials in Eastern Visayas remained tight-lipped about the identities of the persons on board a motorized boat that exploded while traversing toward the south of Buri Island in Catbalogan City, Samar at around 4:20 a.m. on Monday.

Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon, the commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division, also based in Catbalogan City, on Tuesday said they could not ascertain if spouses Benito and Wilma Tiamzon–two ranking leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF)–were among those on board the boat.

He, however, said that “very important persons” of the communist group are in the region, notably in the mountains of Northern Samar, based on their intelligence report.

“The reason I cannot confirm it is because we have not seen physical evidence to validate the reports,” De Leon said in a media interview.

De Leon said his men did not see any “human casualty” on the place where the boat exploded.

He said they are conducting military operations in Northern Samar where “very important persons” connected with the NPA are in the area.

A photo circulating on social media alleged that a body of a headless woman was discovered inside a wrecked motor boat in the coastal waters of Tarangan town, also in Samar on Tuesday afternoon.

The 8th Infantry Division, however, said they could not determine yet if the boat was the same as the one that exploded on Monday.

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JPV