Wounded NPA leader dies despite soldiers’ efforts to save him

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - – A wounded New People’s Army (NPA) leader died in a military ambulance while being rushed to the Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Station Hospital at Camp Panacan here late Friday night.

According to the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, the NPA leader, Eleazar Romero, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in an encounter with men of the 60th Infantry Battalion in Sitio Tagmailan, New Sibunga, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley earlier that day.

Two soldiers were also wounded in the encounter, which resulted from clashes starting Thursday morning when CAFGU auxiliaries from the Palo Patrol Base of the 72nd IB responded to information on an NPA armed group in Barangay Limbaan in New Corella, Davao del Norte.

A blocking group of the 60th IB encountered the NPA band in Barangay Del Monte, also in New Corella town.

In the noon of the following day, another 60th IB group encountered the same NPA band composed of 12 men.

Last Friday night, 60th IB troops scouring the site of the last encounter in New Sibunga, Nabunturan, Compostela Valley found the wounded Romero.

Romero had been an NPA guerrilla for eight years and was the leader of the armed propaganda group. 

The 60th IB troops were unable to call for a helicopter evacuation of Romero and their two wounded colleagues because of the conditions, forcing an evacuation by foot.

“We applied all the first aid techniques we know and had to carry him (Romero) for three hours until we could reach the nearest road where he could be evacuated by ambulance together with our two wounded,” a 60th IB member said.

However, Romero was pronounced dead on arrival at the Camp Panacan Station Hospital.

Lt. Col. Roberto Bunagan, 60th IB commander, commended his men for taking “extraordinary care” in following the rules of engagement.

“Thanks to valuable information from the area, we were able to track down the armed group, and my men were even able to take measures so that there would be no civilians put to danger,“ he said.