4 soldiers killed, 3 hurt in NPA ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Four soldiers were killed and three others were wounded after New People’s Army rebels ambushed them in Presentacion, Camarines Sur yesterday.

Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said the soldiers were part of 12-man Army squad running after rebels who attacked military men guarding infrastructure projects last Saturday, killing one Pfc. Alvin Arias.

Cabunoc identified the fatalities as 1Lt. Miguel Logronio Jr., Cpl. Arturo Hernandez, and Pfcs. Albert Jamera and Edwin Britannico. All of them suffered multiple gunshot and shrapnel wounds.

The Army initially declared the four missing and conducted a massive manhunt late yesterday afternoon to locate them.

Lt. Col. Ernesto Cruz, commander of the 42nd Infantry Battalion, said his unit found the bodies of the four missing soldiers near the encounter site.

“All of my missing soldiers are already accounted for. We will immediately transport them to our headquarters in Nabua town,” Cruz said. 

Another soldier, Pfc. Bernard Vergara, had also been declared missing but was found unscathed by responding troops.

Cabunoc said Vergara was able to send a text message that he is still alive and hiding in the bushes.  

“Sir, I am waiting for our troop reinforcements. I am now hiding in the bushes to avoid enemy detection,” Vergara said in a text message to Cruz.

Vergara said they were also casualties among the rebels.

“I personally saw them carrying their dead and wounded from my concealed position near the encounter site,” Vergara said.

“We gave them a good fight but the terrorist rebels occupied a higher ground. The number of Molotov bombs and grenades thrown at us seemed endless so I decided to crawl farther away from the encounter site,” he added.

The wounded soldiers, identified as Pfcs. Ronnie Villaluna, Jerry Magdasoc and Carlos Codires, were airlifted to the 9th ID hospital.