Army men on way to deliver PCOS machines: 2 troopers slain, 5 hurt in Kalinga ‘NPA’ ambush

By DexterA. See

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Two soldiers died while five others were wounded when an elite team of the Philippine Army tasked to serve as security to a team of civilians for the delivery of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in the upper towns of Kalinga was ambushed by still undetermined number of armed men believed to be members of the New Peoples Army at barangays Naneg here around 9:30 am Thursday.

           

Col. Roger Salvador, commanding officer of the PA’s 501^st Infantry Battalion (IB), said the soldiers were performing their mandated election duty to secure the delivery of the PCOS machines to the towns of Pasil, Lubuagan, Tinglayan and Balbalan when they were waylaid after shortly leaving the city proper en route to their areas of jurisdiction.

            

Those who were killed in the ambush were identified as Cpl. Allen P. Pattaguan and Cpl. Wilfedo C. Bacacao while those who were wounded were named as T/Sgt. Constante V. Alupari, T/Sgt. Herminigildo B. Vergara and PFc. Delfin Goyagoy.

The two other wounded soldiers have yet to be identified by the Philippine Army.

            

According to Salvador, the casualties and wounded soldiers were initially brought to Lubuagan municipal hospital for emergency medical treatment before they were transported to the Kalinga provincial hospital for further treatment.

            

“Despite the unfortunate incident, we were able to secure the PCOS machines and safely deliver them to their destinations,” Salvador told the Manila Standard, adding that joint police and military personnel are own conducting hot pursuit operations against the fleeing rebels in the mountain ranges of Kalinga.