A suspected member of the New People’s Army was released from military custody yesterday, two days after the encounter in Brgy. Bucalan, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, that claimed the lives of two suspected rebel assassins and an Army soldier.

Lt. Col. Wilfredo Isaac, 11th Infantry Battalion commander, yesterday said they released Ronnel Josalita, who was captured after the encounter, for lack of evidence to link him to the NPA.

Josalita, however, had revealed that the slain Argie Villasan and Elmer Canete, were NPA rebels, Isaac said.

PFC Edmund Prieto, a member of the 11th Infantry Battalion Alpha Company, also died in the gun battle, military records showed.

Two .45 caliber pistols with magazines containing 23 ammunition, a fragmentation grenade and subversive documents were recovered by 11IB soldiers from the suspected NPA assassins.

Isaac said the cadavers of Villasan and Canete have not yet been claimed by their families at a funeral parlor in Canlaon City. He, however, said that they and the local government unit of Canlaon will provide them a decent burial, if their bodies are not claimed.

Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said there is a strong possibility that the two slain rebels were among those involved in assassination activities of the NPA in Moises Padilla and Isabela, that victimized two CAFGU members in the past two months.

Isaac, who attended the election security briefing at Camp Alfredo Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City, said Prieto had been able to talk to one of the suspects, before he was shot.

Despite having been shot in the back, Prieto managed to return fire, hitting fatally one of the rebels, Isaac added.

Villaran and Canete belonged to the NPA SPARU Platoon Budlas of Larangan Guerilla 1 of the Komiteng Rehiyon Negros, military records show.* GPB

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