Agusan Sur village chief gunned down

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines– A former president of the Association of Barangay Captains in Veruela town in Agusan del Sur was shot dead by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels last Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Senior Inspector Lucio Datahan Jr., Veruela police chief, said Joselito Rodrigo, 56, chairman of Barangay Limot, was onboard a motorcycle along with barangay secretary Cherry Lou No-os when men armed with high-powered firearms flagged them down.

The armed men ordered No-os to disembark and then shot Rodrigo several times, killing him on the spot. At least 36 empty bullets were found at the scene. 

Datahan admitted the area where the attack happened is rebel-infested. 

Rodrigo was the third barangay official in the Caraga region slain this year. The two other killings happened in Loreto, Agusan del Sur and in an Agusan del Norte town, both NPA-infested areas.

Meanwhile, the Army is deploying more troops in rebel-infested areas in Caraga, the only region still facing decades-old insurgency woes even as NPA strength in other regions is on the decline.

Maj. Christian Uy, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion and the 1st Special Forces Battalion will soon be deployed in Caraga, doubling the number of government troops in the region. 

Uy said the insurgency in Caraga seems to be on the rise, as rebels get more mass-based support, particularly in the hinterlands.

Uy said solving the insurgency in the region is not only the duty of the military but also involves all government agencies that could deliver basic services, particularly in poverty-stricken areas.

“That’s why we need the cooperation of all sectors, the politicians, the constituents and more especially, the communities,” he added.