Tuesday, September 11, 2007 Rebels kill 2 kin of returnees By Carlo P. Mallo
TWO residents of Agusan del Sur were shot dead by alleged members of the New People's Army in retaliation for the surrender of 21 lumad (tribesmen)-members last month.
The victims, identified as Nono Banggaan and Samuel Cortina, were gunned down Friday in their residences in Barangay Kasapa 1, Loreto town.
An eyewitness said there were about seven armed rebels who arrived at the residences of Banggaan and Cortina at around 7 a.m. Friday.
The group was headed by a certain Mitchel Casal of the NPA's Front Committee 34.
The rebels, armed with M16 rifles, shot the innocent victims who were the relatives of Kimson Banggaan, one of the rebel returnees who surrendered to the 1001st Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
The military is already looking into the incident and stepped up security measures in the area for possible retaliatory attacks by the insurgents.
