Soldier killed; landmine, guns
recovered in encounter site

The New People’s Army in Western Visayas continues to use landmines that are banned under the International Humanitarian Law, as shown by their recovery of one yesterday by government troopers in Leon, Iloilo, after an encounter, Army regional spokesman Maj. Enrico Gil Ileto said yesterday.

Ileto said the landmine, that was connected to 22 meters of electrical wire without a switch, was recovered by the 82nd Infantry Battalion soldiers, while scouring the encounter site in Brgy. Bucari, Leon, Iloilo.

The encounter claimed the life of PFC John Philip Durana, and the recovery of an M-14 assault rifle with five rounds of ammunition, among others, at the encounter site.

Despite the killing of Durana, Major General Jose Mabanta, 3rd Infantry Division commander, in a statement, said their persistent call for peace with the people will continue, adding that the armed struggle has become not only anti-government, but anti-people as well.

“We will not falter in our resolve to send to let the NPA hear the call of the people for peace", Mabanta added.

He reiterated his call to the NPA to refrain from using banned weapons, as agreed upon between the Government of the Philippines and the Communist Party of the Philippines' National Democratic Front under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.*GPB

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7 killed, 33 injured
in bus accident

CEBU CITY – At least seven people were killed and 33 others were injured when a packed bus lost its brakes and slammed into a concrete wall in Barangay Don Andres Soriano, Toledo City, past 7 p.m. Saturday.

Senior Police Officer 2 Larry Pili of the Toledo City Police Station said the Jegan’s bus, with plate number GXD-545, left Cebu City and was on its way to Pinamungajan town, when the vehicle, driven by Allan Pastedio, 40, suffered a mechanical problem while it was going downhill. The impact tore the roof off the front part of the bus.

Six of the seven fatalities were all passengers of the ill-fated bus and have yet to be identified. The remaining victim, Virgilio Cañabano, was reportedly a few blocks away from his house when the accident happened.

Most of those injured were transferred to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City, for treatment of severe injuries and fractures.

Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, 3rd District) said he sent his staff to the VSMMC to attend to the survivors’ needs, adding that he and his sister, Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, will take care of all the medical expenses of the victims.

He said they will also take care of the burial expenses and give financial assistance to the families of those killed.*PNA

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