BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO
CAMP MELCHOR F. DELA CRUZ, Gamu, Isabela (September 18)—Communist New People’s Army (NPA) surrenderers have confirmed the recovered skeletal remains of their two former comrades who were buried in Baggao town in Cagayan province after a firefight with the Philippine National Police (PNP) three years ago.
On Wednesday, the 17th Infantry Battalion (17IB) of the 5th Infantry Star Division (5ID) here told media that they have found skeletal remains of two individuals believed to be members of the NPA rebel movement under the Northern Front Committee ng Komiteng Rehiyon Cagayan Valley in Region 2.
Lt. Col. Angelo Saguiguit, 17IB commander, said the skeletal remains were first learned through a report on Monday from a resident of Kilometer 16, Barangay Sta. Margarita in Baggao town where the remains were buried, and which were confirmed by NPA surrenderers that these belong to the said NPA front in Region 2.
According to Saguiguit, the resident-informer whose identity was not revealed for security reasons said the area where they found the skeletal remains had been serving as a burial ground for the NPA rebel casualties in the area.
He said NPA surrenderers also confirmed that these were their former comrades who died during an encounter with the PNP in 2016.
The remains were reportedly those of Ka Albay who was a resident of Barangay Asinga Via in Baggao town and Ka Hector who belongs to the Agta tribe and was a resident of Zinundungan Valley in Rizal town, Cagayan.
Meanwhile, the Regional Crime Laboratory of Police Regional Office 2 is conducting forensic examination for additional information on the identity, which will be given to their respective families.
Brig. Gen. Laurence Mina, 5ID commander, said they would do everything they could in coordination with the PNP and the local government unit of Baggao and to turn over the skeletal remains to their respective families for them to provide a decent burial for their fallen relatives.