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Saturday, February 21, 2004
2 wounded rebels found in hospital, arrested
By Rex C. Otero
DAVAO -- Two members of the New People's Army (NPA), one a woman, were arrested while confined at the Isaac Robillo Memorial Hospital in Calinan, Davao City, allegedly for treatment of gunshot wounds from a gunbattle earlier this month in Montevista, Compostela Valley.
Calinan police chief Joseph Sepulcre said they received information about the two wounded rebels being confined at the hospital.
Sepulcre said it is standard operating procedure to conduct an investigation on the two. Police were able to locate them at the hospital at 9 p.m. Thursday.
Reyna Percalen, alias Ka Juvy, 33, and Martin Luis, alias Marvin, also 33, were confined at Room 9.
Sepulcre said Percalen is the chief medical officer of Front Committee 33 of the NPA operating in Compostela Valley. Luis's designation is unconfirmed.
Sepulcre said initial investigation on the two revealed they are part of the group of rebels that engaged soldiers in a gunbattle at around 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Twenty members of the Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda, led by a certain Commander Roque, encountered the soldiers in Montevista last Tuesday, said Sepulcre.
The two, Percalen and Luis, have been transferred to the Davao Medical Center where they are now being guarded by Task Force Davao members.
Percalen had bullet wounds on his left arm and left leg, while Luis is in a more critical condition--being wounded in his left and right shoulders and crotch.
Lt. Col. Max Caro, commanding officer of the 36th Infantry Battalion, said the gunbattle occurred at Barangay Lebanon in Montevista town.
Army sergeants Rex Robles and John Baņas, both members of the 36IB's Delta Company, were wounded in the encounter.
The team was hunting down rebels who killed Cafgu Victorio Gozon when they encountered the guerilla group, Caro said. Gozon was reportedly killed for leading the establishment of an army detachment at Lebanon.
Earlier, in the post-encounter report, Caro has said they suspected that there were rebels wounded because of traces of blood in the encounter scene.
While exiting, the rebels even took hostage the families of six Cafgu men and used them as human shields.
(February 21, 2004 issue)
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