Key Philippine Military and Insurgency-Related Events: EASTMINCOM: "The Painful Return of Kerlan Dason Fanagel to his Hometown”

Monday, September 18, 2023

EASTMINCOM: "The Painful Return of Kerlan Dason Fanagel to his Hometown”

Posted to the Eastern Mindanao Command (EASTMINCOM) Facebook Page (Sep 18, 2023): "The Painful Return of Kerlan Dason Fanagel to his Hometown”

Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP

73rd Infantry Neutralizer Battalion

"The Painful Return of Kerlan Dason Fanagel to his Hometown”

The 73rd Infantry Battalion under Lt. Col. Jaicris Jan P. Mendoza, expressed their sympathy to the fallen CTG member, Kerlan Dason Fanagel, who died in an armed encounter with the 47th Infantry Battalion at Sitio Llaud, Barangay Campagao, Bilar, Bohol on September 7, 2023. The LGU and this unit facilitated the return of Kerlans's cadaver to his hometown in Malapatan, Sarangani Province to have a decent burial and further coordinated with the local authorities for additional assistance for Kerlan’s grieving family.

The unit also visited Kerlan's bereaved family during the wake and provided security assistance as well. He was one of the six (6) CTG members killed in the Bohol clash between the NPA rebels and Government troops.

Initially, he was known as Rogelio Jorillo from Minglanilla, Cebu based on the Office ID recovered from his body. However, upon further verification and consultation with former rebels, it was later discovered that his true identity was Kerlan Fanagel from Brgy Poblacion, Malapatan in Sarangani Province. He was the chairperson of Pasakday Salugpungan Kalimudan (PASAKA) a confederation of Lumad Organization.

The unit has also reached out to his elder brother, Kernie, regarding the other assistance that the unit could offer because the unit viewed him as a victim of the CPP’s deceptive strategy: self-proclaimed rights advocate at the same time NPA member. During the discussion he revealed that the family had made several attempts to contact and convince Kerlan to stop his activities but they received no response from him until this tragic incident happened.

Here in Mindanao, he was known as a defender of the rights of Indigenous Peoples, however, in other areas of the country, he took up arms and actively participated as armed member of the Communist Terrorist Group. “Another life wasted because of the long tradition of CPP-NPA deceptive strategy. Can we afford to lose another Kerlan just to realize this? Let’s give peace a chance, the government is sincere in its reintegration Program, so go down, let’s work hand in hand and be advocate of peace “LTC Mendoza said.

Despite his involvement in the CTG, the unit, in collaboration with the Local Government, will facilitate necessary government assistance for his family.

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