4 soldiers, civilian slain by NPA rebs

Communist rebels overwhelmed an Army unit on a “peace and development mission” in Labo, Camarines Norte, on Sunday, killing four soldiers and a civilian, a military official said.

“The Army soldiers ran out of ammunition,” Lieutenant Colonel Epimaco Macalisang, commander of the 49th Infantry Battalion based in the capital town of Daet, told the Inquirer yesterday.

Macalisang said the team of 10 soldiers were staying in the barangay (village) hall in Maot to help in a youth basketball tournament when 50 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels launched the hourlong siege.

Maj. Angelo Guzman, spokes-person of the 9th Infantry Division, identified the fatalities as Corporal Amado A. Perillo, the team leader; Private First Class (Pfc.) Paulo Ortico, Pfc. Teodoro Ojeda Jr. and Pfc. Senecio D. Potian Jr., and one Francisco Ruales, 49.

Guzman said a soldier, Pfc. Lelano Besada, and another civilian, Marlo Matibang, were wounded.

A handheld radio set, one laptop, one K3 submachinegun, six M-16 rifles and a .45 cal. pistol were seized by the rebels who fled toward Barangay Malaya in Labo, he added.

In Davao del Sur, NPA rebels released the five civilians they took as hostages while fleeing from pursuing Army soldiers in Barangay San Miguel in Magsaysay town on Friday, authorities said.

Enteng Bunal, a village councilman, said the civilians were used as “human shields” by the guerrillas after attacking a militia detachment in nearby Barangay Bacungan the day before.  Orlando Dinoy and Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao