By ALDWIN QUITASOL
www.nordis.net

BAGUIO CITY—Ten soldiers and a civilian was killed after a unit of the New Peoples Army carried out an ambush operation to a military convoy belonging to 86th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in Sitio Dontogto, Binablayan, Tinoc, Ifugao.

The AFP casualties are identified as Capt. Seigfred B. Kafilas, Staff Sgt. Domingo G. Torres, Corporal Esmael M. Lazaro, Private First Class Jojo B. Dawaton, Private First Class Kennedy P. Ragutero, Private First Class Crismar M. David, Private First Class Villamor E. Sannadan Jr., Private June D. Villoria, Private Ronel L. Salud, Private Ronald Q. Lorenzo, and Private Ferdinand A. Nalliw. One civilian named Aimee Labug, reportedly a wife of one of the soldiers, was caught in the crossfire and died.

Injured in the said attack is a certain Lieutenant Nabatias, Private First Class Lopez, and civilian, Jefferson dela Cruz.

According to the statement of Wigan Moncontad, spokesperson of Nona del Rosario Command of the NPA Ifugao, arms seized from the soldiers include 4 M-16 rifle and a Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW), 1 Harris Radio Transceiver and bullets. He said that the NPA guerillas suffered no casualties and withdrew safely.

The NPA spokesperson stated that the ambush was carried out as a punishment for the violence unleashed by the military and police against the people of Tinoc and the rape by the former commanding officer of the B Company of the 86th ID against two minor girls from Mankayan, Benguet, an area covered by the operation of the battalion. # nordis.net