Grieving parents of 2 suspected NPAs bury their children away from public view

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 27 June)—Grieving parents of two suspected members of the New People’s Army killed in separate clashes the past few days buried their dead away from public view, asking the military not to reveal their identities to avoid being mocked on social media.

Brig. Gen. Michele Anayron Jr., commanding general of the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, said they agreed to the requests of the parents out of compassion and pity.

The two female NPA members were among the seven rebels killed during a series of encounters with the military in Butuan City, in Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon last week.

Anayron said the two were former students of prominent schools in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.

He said Army soldiers brought the bodies to their respective parents after former NPA rebels who were their former comrades identified them.

Anayron said the female slain in Sitio Malinao, Barangay Kalasungay in Malaybalay City last June 17 was a former student of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology.

“Her father told us that she joined the NPA rebels in 2017 and that was the last time they saw her,” Anayron said. She was buried in her hometown somewhere in Zamboanga del Sur, he added.

Lt. Col. Christian Uy, commander of the 58th Infantry Battalion, said the other female who was killed in an encounter in Sitio Kalhaan, Barangay Minalwang in Claveria, Misamis Oriental on June 16 was buried by her parents somewhere in the province.

Uy said she was a former student of Xavier University in Cagayan de Oro City.

Elsewhere, Maj. Francisco Garello Jr., spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, said Army soldiers also buried in Butuan City last Wednesday the two NPA leaders who were among the seven killed by the military in Sitio Dugyaman, Barangay Anticala, also in Butuan City.

Garello said the two NPA leaders were identified as Roel Arellano Maglasang alias Do/Dali, a resident of Asuncion town, Davao del Norte, and his wife, Raylin Zubiri alias Apple, of Gigaquit town, Surigao del Norte.

He said a total of 30 high-powered firearms were seized by the soldiers in the clash at Barangay Anticala. These included seven AK-47 rifles, four M4 rifles, four AR18n rifles, one M16 rifle, two M14 rifles and two M16 rifles with attached M203 grenade launchers. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)

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