Members of the family who coddled three suspected New People’s Army assassins who shot and killed an unarmed Army soldier Tuesday in Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, will be charged as principal suspects for his death.
Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said Private First Class John Ilisan, a member of the 47th Infantry Batallion Peace and Development Team, succumbed to three gunshot wounds after he was shot by suspected NPA assassins, while on a marketing job in Sitio Cambugi-ot, Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City.
Lactao, who condemned the killing of the unarmed Ilisan, said they have already identified the rebel assassins and the members of a family, who allegedly extended assistance to the suspects.
Ilisan was the second PDT member of the 47IB to be killed in southern Negros since March, next to Army 2Lt. Jose Angelo Esguerra, 2, military records show.
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Division has deployed several PDTs in the hinterlands of Negros and Panay islands, to help local officials identify solutions to the problems of farmers and residents in conflict-affected communities.
In August last year, Army 2Lt. Rigor Borja and Cpl. Juanito Fernando, both members of the 47thIB Peace and Development Teams, were injured but survived when they were shot by NPA alleged assassins in Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City.
Lt. Col. Rodrigo Sosmena, 47IB commander, reminded his troops to be always vigilant and security-conscious, saying they are fighting “a war without a front”.
Supt. German Garbosa, Sipalay police chief, said Ilisan was also divested of his wallet, cellular phone and other valuable items.
An empty shell of a 9mm pistol and three pairs of slippers were recovered at the crime scene by the colleagues of Ilisan, who had responded to the shooting incident.
In previous months, two unarmed members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit were also summarily executed by rebels in Moises Padilla and Isabela, Negros Occidental.*GPB
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