“THERE was an encounter.”
This was stressed by Captain Kim Apitong Spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army yesterday, July 8 amidst the claim of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) that their four colleagues were “massacred” in Binalbagan town, Negros Occidental in the morning of July 6.
Apitong said that these statements are not new to them as the CTG is always misinforming the public.
“We have pictures and the evidence (that an encounter took place) and we even have the pictures of the casualties who were holding their firearms,” Apitong said.
He said the rebels can deny all they want but the army were able to recover subversive documents that they left behind aside from the reports of the Philippine National Police
“Those who were killed were combatants, whether they are sick or not, we don’t know about that,” Apitong emphasized, adding that the killed rebels were exchanging gunfire with the army.
The military spokesperson also said that it is up to the public to decide who is lying.
In a statement earlier, Ka Juanito Magbanua, who is the spokesperson of the Apolonario Gatmaitan Command of the New People’s Army in Negros Island, debunked the claim of the military that an encounter took place.
Magbanua maintained that the 94th Infantry Battalion together with the 33rd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC) raided a hut in Sitio Calunakon in Barangay Santol, Binalbagan town, where the rebels were taking refuge as they were sick.
Magbanua claimed that the soldiers arrested Roel Sagon, 30, alias “Berio”; Rowel Udtuhan, 40, alias “Jing-Jing/Caloy” both of Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental; Nikka Ledesma, 20, of Cebu City and Alden Rodriguez, 20, of Barangay Bantolinao in Manjuyod town and killed them at the nearby nearby Sitio Amelis in Barangay Biao.
Sagon serves as the leader of Sentro De Grabidad Central Negros 2 Squad 3 while Udtuhan is is his assistant. Ledesma was the group’s political guide while Rodriguez is a member of the Squad 3.