But Bautista, whom the rebels had sentenced to death for being an alleged military informer, managed to escape from his "executioners," despite a bullet wound in his right abdomen.
Reports reaching the Armed Forces’ Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said Bautista was grilled in what appeared to be an NPA "kangaroo court" in Sitio Tangan-tangan, Barangay Maamot in San Jose, Tarlac last Tuesday night.
His interrogators were cadres Janet Cruz alias Ka Libay/Laura and Freddie Jacinto alias Ka Wowie, both of the Iskuwad Gerilya-San Jose, Kilusang Larangan Gerilya of the NPA’s Tarlac Provincial Committee.
Without any warning, the rebels, the reports said, shot Bautista at close range with a caliber .45 pistol in the abdomen.
Although wounded, Bautista managed to escape. He then reported the incident to M/Sgt. Renato Britos, military detachment head in Barangay Maamot.
Brig. Gen. Silverio Ilagan, commander of the Army’s 703rd Infantry Brigade, said the incident and the past killings and harassment of innocent civilians and non-combatant soldiers attest to the "brutality and viciousness" of the NPA.
Last week, NPA guerrillas tortured and killed two Army soldiers in Nueva Ecija and Isabela.
Sgt. Eulogio Campos, on detached service with the 702nd Infantry Brigade in Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, was tending his farm along with his wife when he was snatched last Saturday.
Campos was later found dead, a rope tied around his neck with his body bearing multiple gunshot wounds and lacerations indicating that he was tortured before he was killed.
Two days before Campos’ killing, Army Pvt. Marlon Laggui was found dead, his body bearing several bullet wounds and torture marks, in Barangay Minanga, San Mariano, Isabela.
Laggui was reportedly on his way to the San Mariano public market to buy supplies for his unit when he was seized by 20 NPA rebels led by one Lourdes Bulan. — with Artemio Dumlao