2 Army soldiers slain in Albay ambush

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY — Two soldiers were killed in an ambush on Monday, Feb. 20, perpetrated by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Camalig town in Albay province.

In a belated report Tuesday, the Philippine Army’s 9th Infantry Division identified the victims as Private John Paul Adalim and Private Mark June Esico, both assigned at 31st Infantry Battalion.

The report said three armed men, believed to be NPA guerrillas, shot the victims as they were buying goods around 7 a.m. at the public market in Barangay Cotmon.

The victims died on the spot due to injuries.

The Army said the soldiers were deployed in the area to augment the search-and-rescue operations for the missing four passengers aboard the Cessna plane that crashed on Feb. 18 near the summit crater of Mount Mayon.

Enraged Army official

Major General Adonis Bajao of Joint Task Force Bicolandia condemned the incident, calling it an act of “cowardice.”

“Masyado nang desperado ang mga teroristang grupo dahil sa walang humpay na operasyon sa kabundukan ng Philippine Army na nagpapahina pa lalo sa kanilang grupo,” Bajao said in a statement.

(The terrorist groups are desperate because of the non-stop operations of the Philippine Army, which further weaken their group.)

“Pagpapakita rin ito ng kanilang kaduwagan at kawalan ng respeto sa karapatang pantao sa pamamagitan ng pagkitil ng buhay kabilang na ang mga sundalong nakatalaga sanang magpaabot ng tulong at magsalba ng buhay ng ating mga kababayan,” he added.

(This is an act of cowardice and a disregard of human rights of the soldiers who were only supposed to extend assistance to the people.)  With reports from John Eric Mendoza, INQUIRER.net

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