2 of 3 slain NPAs in N. Cotabato clash identified

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Two of the three suspected New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels that died after they clashed with government troops in Makilala, North Cotabato on Monday were already identified by their relatives, a police official said.Chief Inspector Johnny Rick Medel, chief of the Makilala Police, identified the slain suspected rebels as Raymart Rusiana, 25, of Makilala and Armand Mendoza, 39, of Barangay Nuling, Lebak in Sultan Kudarat.Rusiana and Mendoza were identified by a certain Renato Rusiana, also a resident of Makilala town.Raymart is Renato’s step son, according to reports from Makilala PNP.When asked by police investigators, Renato refused to divulge his stepson’s involvement in the guerilla movement.The Makilala PNP said the other slain rebel is still unidentified as of this writing but his remains were already brought to the Collado Funeral Homes in Kidapawan City, along with the two others.Meanwhile, the member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) Active Auxiliary (CAA) that also died during the armed clashes was identified as Julito Apalan.Six other CAFGU members who were wounded during the armed clashes were Edgar Delima, Olegario Rollorta, Raffy Aguana, Jimmy Gonzaga, Joel Daguan, and Jose Angcob, all under the Army’s 38thInfantry Battalion.Lieutenant Lea Canseran, spokesperson of the Army’s 39thIB, said the communist rebels that attacked their detachment Barangay Luayon, Makilala belonged to the NPA Guerilla Front 72 whose area of operations include provinces of Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, and South Cotabato in southwest Mindanao.Canseran said they would continue their pursuit operations against those that attacked their CAFGU detachment at Barangay Luayon despite reports that the suspects have already exited to the hinterlands.Meantime, classes at Barangay Luayon will resume on Tuesday after authorities assured safety of students and teachers.