The soldiers were said to be on their way back to their temporary patrol base when attacked. They were coordinating with the local leaders for a proposed civic action program there.
Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman Major Armand Rico said the soldiers were on a clearing operation earlier that day while another squad was ordered to hold a dialogue with the local residents in the area.
Rico said just as the soldiers were going back to their main platoon, the rebels ambushed them.
Lieutenant Colonel Rolando JD Bautista, the Army's 10th Infantry Division spokesman, said: "The Command denounces in its strongest terms the NPA (New People's Army) attack on soldiers who are performing peace mission and who were unarmed."
"It goes to show that these NPAs are cowards and are only capable of fighting if their enemy is unarmed. This is tantamount to murder. The soldiers were ruthlessly executed as they were unarmed during the attack," Bautista said.
Soldiers going around unarmed in a known rebel-infested area like Paquibato may seem impossible, but the Army officials insist that the victims were not carrying arms.
"Post operation kasi yung ginagawa nila to ease the tension of the residents in the area. Two days before the ambush kasi may encounter din malapit dun kaya ang mga tao may phobia na sa baril. Kaya the troops were unarmed and in civilian attire," Rico explained.
