• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
The Municipal Government of Moises Padilla extended support to the bereaved family of the 6-year-old boy who was struck by a stray bullet during the crossfire between the 62nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in an upland barangay of the town on Tuesday.
Mayor Ella Garcia Yulo said yesterday that the municipality claimed all the financial obligations for the burial and the funeral of the deceased child.
The Municipal Social Work and Development Office (MSWDO) also provided psychological services to the bereaved family members to ensure their well-being after the heartbreaking incident.
“We provided P5,000 financial assistance, and they also availed free burial and funeral services under the municipal programs for indigents,” she said.
The Congressional office of Negros Occidental 5th District Representative Atty. Dino Yulo and the Office of the Vice President also extended financial aid to the family, the mayor confirmed.
On Tuesday, an armed encounter occurred between the army and the rebels at Sitio Agogolo in Barangay Macagahay, which resulted in the death of the innocent boy who was hiding inside their house during the crossfire.
Based on the information disclosed by Yulo, the encounter between two parties started at the upland areas of Guihulngan, Negros Oriental but reached that area of Moises Padilla, since both were pursuing each other.
“When they heard the gunshots they immediately hid inside their residence. Since their house was situated on lower ground and the encounter occurred on the upper portion, the bullet possibly entered from their roof,” the mayor said.
Based on the geography of the area, Sitio Inangao in Barangay Quentin Remo, where the 6-year-old boy was hiding inside their house, is situated below the mountainous area of Sitio Agogolo in Barangay Macagahay, where the bullet was allegedly from.*
