BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Two Philippine Army intelligence operatives died in an ambush yesterday, staged by suspected New People’s Army rebels in Sitio Cambogiot, Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental.
The two victims, identified by the Sipalay City police, as SSgt. Regie Glendro and TSgt. Ken Camilan, both intelligence operatives of the 47th Infantry Battalion, were on their way to Sitio Cambogiot proper in the barangay on board a motorcycle, when a group of armed men suspected to be rebels, opened fire at them.
Both victims succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot, according to initial reports of the Sipalay City Police Station.
Initial police investigations showed that the five armed men fled on board two motorcycles, in the direction of Sitios Bolo, Linumsan and Omas in Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City.
Brig. Gen. Leonardo Peña, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday confirmed that the two slain Army soldiers were intelligence operatives.
Peña, however, clarified that their visit to Sitio Cambogiot had nothing to do with their intelligence work, but was for coordination in local peace engagement tasking.
Pursuit operations against the fleeing NPA rebels are ongoing as of press time.
On the other hand, the NPA Leonardo Panaligan Command issued a statement claiming responsibility for the death of Geovanie Omboy on November 20 in Sitio Haroy, Brgy. Montilla, Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental.
Rebel spokesman Ka JB Regalado tagged Omboy as a “military asset” of the 62nd Infantry Battalion.*