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Tuesday, May 24, 2005
Coed killed in clash a rebel hostage: ex-rebel
By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE 22-year-old female student killed in a gun battle in Bukidnon on May 14 was actually a hostage and not a member of the communist group New People's Army, a former rebel said recently.
Mario (surname withheld), a member of the Pulang Bagani Command 1 uner Kumander Parago, said he was with Jane Quintos for more than a month before she was killed.
"She told me that she was a student in Davao and that she was a captive of Parago with six others. The six others have since been able to escape leaving her behind," Mario narrated in the dialect.
The rebel returnee said he was with Quintos when they encountered the military at Sitio Gopako, Barangay Sinuda in Kitaotao, Bukidnon last May 14.
Mario said Quintos was hit by mortar shelling and though still alive, she was left by their comrades. He denied though that the Army performed a coup de grace on Quintos saying that the amazon died due to the wounds inflicted by the mortar explosion.
Mario said another rebel identified as Bulao also died in the said encounter while seven other rebels were wounded.
He added that Quintos' younger sister, identified as Gaga, is a member of the rebel movement. Mario said when he decided to surrender last May 19, Gaga was still with the rebel group.
The military earlier claimed that Quintos was a student of the Ateneo de Davao University (ADDU) based on the school ID they recovered from the slain coed.
This was, however, denied by the Ateneo management saying that they do not have any record of a student named of Jane Quintos.
Based on computer records shown by Marie Lanaban, secretary at the Registrar's Office, there was only one Quintos listed since 1996. Her name is Maria Bettina.
AdDU registrar Rene Villarente said the identification card could have been false.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (May 24, 2005 issue)
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