Relatives claim bodies of 2 of four slain rebels

CEBU, Philippines -  With the assistance of  members of  Karapatan, relatives of the two of  four NPA rebels who were killed in an encounter in Tanjay City last May 24, claimed the bodies of  Diosdado "Amming" Dacal-dacal and Feliz Yanoc, all of  Sta. Catalina town.

Dacaldacal's body was identified by his wife, Cita, and his elder brother Jessie Dacaldacal, who himself was recently released from detention for a rebellion case after he figured in an encounter with the 79th Infantry Battalion last April 3 at Barangay Balayong in Pamplona town, Negros Oriental.

The body of  Yanoc was identified by his 17-year-old son at the St. Joseph Funeral chapel in Tanjay City. The son confirmed that, since he was 5 years old, his father was a member of the armed component of  the New Peoples Army, and that he did not see his father came home until the latter died in an encounter last Saturday.

The same statement was issued by the 13-year-old daughter of Dacaldacal, who said her father left them when she was still in elementary.

Karapatan's Lisa Badayos, said the families of  the slain NPA rebels came to her office for help, especially in the retrieval of the bodies. The birth certificate brought by Badayos has the name Gerobert Yanoc, whom the son said was the same Feliz Yanoc.

The Tanjay City government provided for the vehicle to transport the bodies of the two dead NPAs to their respective residences: at Sitio Avocado in Barangay Talalak of Sta. Catalina town (for Yanoc); and Sitio Cadlom of  Barangay Nagbalaye, also in Sta. Catalina (for Dacaldacal).

The two other rebels who died in the 35-minute firefight have yet to be identified, but were believed to be from Negros Occidental, military sources said.

If still unclaimed in the next few days, the Philippine Army will ask the assistance of  the local government of  Tanjay City to help bury the dead, said Brigadier General Francisco Patrimonio, commander of  the 302nd Infantry Brigade.

The Saturday encounter also resulted in the wounding of Corporal Melbert Dapilaga, who also lost his issued Harris HH Radio when hit by an NPA bullet. He is now, however, recuperating at the Holy Child Hospital where he is already in safe condition.

Patrimonio disclosed that the rebels were temporary looking for another base to hide because their base in Sta. Catalina was already overran and occupied by the Bayanihan Team Operations.

Civilians however reported to the military the presence of the rebels in the area and this resulted in the encounter between the government troops and the insurgents.

According to Patrimonio, two others have surrendered during the clash, namely, Pedring Biton, 33, and Rodel Biton, 18, both residents of Sto. Niño in Tanjay City.

After informed about the encounter, Commission on Human Rights-Negros Oriental special investigator Jess Cañete, after being informed of the clash, immediately went to the encounter site to document the retrieval operations and to conduct an investigation as to the legitimacy of the operation.

Cañete had established that it was a legitimate military operation, and that a certain Pedring Biton told him gunfires emanated from two different directions, which could be attributed as that of  the military and the NPA.  

In an interview, Pedring claimed he wanted at that time to check if  his carabao was safe when hit by stray bullet, either from the soldiers or the rebels. — (FREEMAN)