The recent encounter in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, took a new twist when the Philippine Army tagged the New People's Army rebels, who had encountered government troops, of being responsible for the death and injuries of two of their members.
The engagement between patrolling Army soldiers and 10 suspected NPA members took place at about 4:30 am Friday last week in Sitio Madrak, Brgy. Dian-ay, Escalante City.
Col. Jon Aying, 303 rd Infantry Brigade commander, said that, based on their assessment, Danilo Amar was killed and Romly Palotes was injured when they were hit by bullets from their own comrades. The two were alleged members of the NPA Yunit Militia.
The encounter also caused an injury to Lt. John Rey Espinosa, 27, commander of the 62 nd Infantry Battalion Bravo Company, who is now confined at the Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Aying said that Amar and Palotes, who served as guides and were leading the group of NPA rebels, alerted their comrades, who were following them. Immediately, the NPA opened fire, ironically, hitting Amar in the back, who fell where the 62IB soldiers were positioned and also hit Palotes, he said.
He also said that, before the Army soldiers managed to retaliate, the two NPA members had already been hit.
In the course of gunbattle, Espinosa was also hit in the head.
A .45 caliber pistol with ammunition left behind by the fleeing rebels was recovered at the encounter site by Army soldiers pursuing them.
Aying disputed the allegations of Palotes that they were about to fetch a “paltera (midwife)”, when they were fired at by Army soldiers. He said their investigations showed that the pregnant woman has yet to give birth.
Aying said the condition of Espinosa has further improved, after five days of confinement at the Intensive Care Unit of Dr. Pablo O. Torre Memorial Hospital in Bacolod City.
Brig. Gen. Romeo Labador, deputy commander of the AFP Central Command, yesterday visited and conferred Espinosa with the Wounded Personal Medal, for injury incurred during actual combat. Aying said they may not pursue the filing of charges against Palotes if he will turn state witness. If not, they will include him in the charges against other NPA members.
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