Eight soldiers hurt in Bontoc ‘NPA’ ambush

By Francis Degay

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Eight army personnel of the 54th Infantry Battalion aboard their vehicle were ambushed by unidentified elements believed to be New People’s Army rebels here at Napo, Bontoc Ili, a few kilometers away from the Poblacion.

Bontoc police chief Insp Marcial Faed bared this saying cops responded to an emergency call about the ambush morning of June 6.

The report said there were eight personnel of the Bravo Company in the KM vehicle bearing plate number SJE 351who just came from Barangay Aguid, Sagada and were on their way to this capital town at about 8:30 a.m. when the incident happened.

Sagada is around 19 km from here.

Five sustained gunshot wounds and were immediately transported to the nearby Bontoc General Hospital for medical treatment and confinement by police and response teams from the BGH and Bontoc local government.

The victims were identified as PFC Michael Danao Telan, 32, married of Sta Maria, Isabela; Pvt. Mark Mora Cuaresma, 22, single, from Echague, Isabela; PFC Roel Pascual Maribay, 29, married of Isabela; PFC Salvador Licudo Perez, 27, married of Dilag, Tabuk City and CPL Eduardo Lopez Managuelod, 35, married of Sto Tomas, Isabela.

A day earlier, (June 5) government troops overran am NPA camp in the province after a 20-minute clash with the insurgents.

Col. Loreto Magundayao, spokesman of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said men of the 54th Infantry Battalion captured the camp in Barangay Bagnen, Bauko town after clashing with some 10 guerrillas.

There were no reported casualties on both sides.

The military said the NPA camp had facilities for some 50 rebels. “The location of the camp is strategic considering that it is at the tri-boundary of Benguet, Mt. Province and Ilocos Sur, which served as a passageway for their operations,” Magundayao said.