WERE Constancio and Crisenta Petalco civilians or were they part of the welcoming party of Joselito Melloria and suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf?
Relatives of the elderly couple claimed that they were killed during the crossfire between government troops and the Jihadist terror group.
“We didn’t see what happened but both were old. They were in the area to lead their animals to pasture,” said Natividad Cenabre in Cebuano.
Natividad is Constancio’s sister. “We’re grieving over what happened to our brother. They were innocent,” said Isabel, also a sister.
Marcosa, another sister, called for justice for their brother’s death.
She said that the Petalcos suffered from arthritis and back pains that prevented them from moving around too much.
The three siblings and neighbors attended the couple’s funeral last Friday.
The Petalcos were buried with Abu Rami, the sub-leader of the Abu Sayyaf, and three others, who were killed last Tuesday.
Neighbors cried foul when the couple were tagged as members of the Abu Sayyaf.
Relatives also turned to the social networking page Facebook where they vented their rage.
“Grabe ka ka demonyo, kinabuhi nila tiyo ug tiya imong gikalas, kinabuhi sad ang imong ibayad. Unta buhi paka madakpan kay di lang ing-ana among ihatag nimo (You’re the devil. You will pay for their deaths with your own life. We hope you will be captured alive because what we will do to you will be worse),” Angie Nojilos said on her Facebook account, referring to Melloria.
In an earlier interview, Columbus Estose, barangay captain of Napo, Inabanga, Bohol, said the Petalcos were his constituents.
However, Capt. Jojo Mascariñas of the 302nd Brigade of the Armed Forces of the Philippines said that the two were involved in accommodating the Abu Sayyaf in Bohol.
“Our men in the field said the couple fed and housed the Abu Sayyaf. When the military arrived, they were overheard telling their guests to flee,” Mascariñas said in Cebuano.
He said a .45 pistol was seized from Constancio’s possession.
The Petalcos’ alleged involvement in terrorism is being investigated.
“Constancio is Melloria’s uncle so they had a relationship. We’re still looking into what kind,” he said in Cebuano.
Members of the Bantay Bayan Bohol Provincial Force Inc. have been dispatched to help hunt for Melloria.