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Bacolod City, Philippines Saturday, March 10, 2012
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Slain soldier was
getting married

BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Army 2Lt. Jose Angelo Esguerra who died in an ambush on March 6 was supposed to get married to Jane Ynsierto, and attend the graduation of his younger brother at the Philippine Military Academy, this month.

But Esguerra, 27, yesterday returned to their home in Western Bicutan, Taguig City, in a coffin. He died, while his group was on the way to a peace and development work in Brgy. Basak, Cauayan, military records show.

Esguerra is tentatively scheduled to be buried at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, on March 15, three days before the graduation of his younger brother, Edgardo Jr., at the PMA, Lt. Col. Rodrigo Sosmena, 47th Infantry Battalion commander, said.

He was also set to get married to his fiancée, who is four months pregnant, this month.

Maj. Gen. Jose Mabanta, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, yesterday said that his brother, the incoming 2Lt. Edgardo Esguerra Jr., is also joining the Philippine Army.

The slain Esguerra graduated from the PMA in 2010, while his younger brother belongs to PMA Class 2012.

Upon his graduation from the PMA, Jose Angelo joined the Philippine Army. He served as an aide of Major General Vicente Porto, then 3ID commander, for several months, before he was transferred to the 47th IB, that is commanded by Sosmena.

It is really sad that, a member of the Armed Forces of the Philippines lost his life, at such a young age, Mabanta, who led and joined Colonel Oscar Lactao and Lt. Col. Rodrigo Sosmena in giving full departure military honors to Esguerra, at the Bacolod-Silay Airport, said.

As a soldier, you are ready anytime to face and offer the ultimate sacrifice, which is your life, in the service of the country and the people, Mabanta said.

“I hope and pray that his (Esguerra) blood will wash away the obstacles of peace, for all of us to live in tranquility,” Sosmena said.

May the people of southern Negros, especially those who murdered him and his coming generation, will also live in peace, and never again see the ugly shadow of the conflict, he added.

The Philippine Army is deploying and mobilizing Peace and Development Teamsto help local government units in identifying solutions to problems of conflict-affected communities in the hinterlands of Cauayan.

Sosmena also rallied his soldiers to march forward and continue to work in the interest of peace and security across Negros island, lest, the death of Esguerra will be in vain.

Lactao said the attack on soldiers who were performing peace and development works is also an attack against the poor people in the hinterland communities, whose lives the NPA does not want to improve.

Even if they have lost a brother officer in the AFP, Mabanta said, they will continue to push and strive to win the peace and bring development to the island of Negros.

Who would want peace more than the AFP members? he asked.

So, Mabanta added, “We should stop the violence now. In the end, it is not us the combatants who will suffer, but the people will really be the ones to suffer,” he stressed.

The remains of Esguerra, escorted by his father, Rodrigo Sr. and mother, Melita, his fiancée, Jane, were airlifted yesterday by an Air Force Fokker plane from Negros Occidental to Manila.* GPB

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