Army official in Masbate vows decent burial for enemies

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 14): Army official in Masbate vows decent burial for enemies

Wednesday one of the four New People's Army (NPA) rebels killed in a clash with government troopers on Monday morning here in Barangay Pangle, Aroroy, Masbate, as a certain “Commander Jaypee.”

Lt. Col Red Cabanizas, commander of the 2nd IB, in an interview, said a scout platoon led by 1Lt. April John S. Del Rosario was conducting patrol operation in Barangay Pangle at 6:30 a.m. when the encounter with the government troops occurred.

Cabanizas said the government soldiers brought the bodies to the police station in Aroroy town.

“The dead rebels will be given decent burial,” he said.

Aroroy Mayor Arturo Virtucio has shouldered the funeral expenses of the communist guerrillas whose remains will be given a three-day funeral at the police station here while waiting for their families to claim the bodies.

“If no one claims (the bodies), it will then be buried,” said Virtucio.

It was the second reported encounter in the province following the termination of ceasefire agreement between the government and the Communist New People’s Army and the NPA, its armed wing, early this month.

On February 6, Cpl. Mark Alfred Repol of the 93rd Division Reconnaisance Company was reported by police authorities in the province as wounded in an encounter in Barangay Amotag, 21 kilometers away from the poblacion of Aroroy.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=963856