DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental—The names of the four soldiers who survived an ambush on Tuesday night, March 3, 2020, in Barangay Luz , Guihulngan City were revealed on Wednesday, March 4, 2020.
The four are Second Lieutenant Christian Niel Cureg, Sergeants Ronald Sabay, Gelmart Alegroso, and Patrolman First Class Joven Ticzon. All of them are suffered minor injuries.
According to a report from the military, the troops from the 94th Infantry Battalion led by Cureg were onboard a military vehicle traversing along the national highway near the boundary of Isabela, Negros Occidental and Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental when they were ambushed.
Read: Four soldiers wounded in Guihulngan ambush
An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) exploded and the military vehicle was fired upon by more or less five rebels. The troops immediately fired back and went into a defensive position.
A firefight ensued for about 10 minutes, after which, the rebels withdrew towards Barangay Banog-banog, Isabela, Negros Occidental.
According to the military report, the rebels may have suffered undetermined casualties based on the bloodstains left in the area.
“The continuous use of IEDs by the terrorist group clearly violates the Ottawa Treaty and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL),” Lieutenant Colonel Egberto Dacoscos, commanding officer of the 94th IB said.
Recovered from the encounter site were 23 rounds of serviceable 7.62mm ball attached in M60mm link, 67 rounds of empty shells of 5.56mm ball, one roll of one 150-meter long electric wire as one of the components of IED, six pieces of dry-cell batteries used as the power source for IED, three bottles of molotov bomb and one empty backpack.
“With the support of the Negrenses, we will never cease our efforts for peace and development anchored in the institutionalization of the Whole-of-Nation-Approach to end the local communist armed conflict. Again, I am encouraging the people of Guihulngan City as well as all of the Negrenses that it is now time that we work together against the NPA Terrorists. Continue to support and cooperate with the government on its programs towards a long and lasting peace in our country,” Dacoscos added. /bmjo