MANILA, Philippines – Four civilians were killed and four others were injured in an ambush staged by suspected members of the New People’s Army in Agusan del Sur, the military said Monday.
Barangay (village) Chairman Emilio Solidor, 49, was onboard a village ambulance with 14 civilians (six adults and eight children) after attending the Thanksgiving celebration of Wayside Bible Baptist Church in sitio Latay in Barangay Marfil in Rosario town at about 5 p.m. Sunday when they were fired upon by about 20 rebels believed to be from the Guerrilla Front 14 of the NPA, said First Lieutenant Jolito Borces, civil military operations officer of the Army’s 75th Infantry Battalion.
Solidor was injured in the attack.
Killed on the spot were Neljoy Cerna, 27, and Noni Mabong, 51; while those pronounced dead on arrival in the hospital were Alfredo Cerna, 51 and Vanessa Sabas, 30.
The injured were Liza Casilla, 47; Elmer Adonis, 37; and Mae Roselyn Adonis, 8.
Solidor was invited to grace the church celebration in the morning that ended in the afternoon. He borrowed the ambulance for transportation and other people asked to ride with him.
The ambulance was already about two kilometers from the church when the incident happened.
Borces said the people inside the ambulance were unable to identify the assailants because they were hiding, but were heard yelling each other’s aliases typically used by insurgents.
He added that Solidor drew the NPA’s anger when the official rejected the rebels’ bid to “organize” in his village.
Pursuit operations are now ongoing.