Bohol Gov. Edgar Chatto has confirmed that Joselito Meloria is dead.
His confirmation came after Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, director of the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas, earlier told Cebu Daily News that Melloria was one of the two Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) members who were killed by government troops in Clarin, Bohol but did not give details.
Melloria, a Boholano Muslim convert who became a member of the ASG and had led the bandit group to his hometown Inabanga during the Holy Week, was among the eight ASG members who managed to escape the government siege of their encampment in Barangay Napo on April 12.
Melloria was killed in Barangay Bacani of Clarin, a town that adjoins Inabanga, and an M16 rifle was recovered from his possession, Chatto said in an interview over radio dyLA in Cebu.
But Chatto could not confirm yet as to the total number of fatalities. He said he was just relying on the reports of the ground commanders – the commander of the Philippine Army’s 302nd Brigade, 47th IB and the director of the Bohol Provincial Police Office – who are leading the firefight in Clarin.