BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Army’s 11th Infantry Battalion extended financial assistance to the families of two New People’s Army rebels killed recently in an encounter with soldiers in Siaton, Negros Oriental.
Capt. Francis Salcedo, 11IB Civil Military Operations officer, said yesterday that the financial assistance was turned over Monday to Reggie Sabinan, son of Ricardo “Ka George” Sabinan, who, along with Wilbert Fuentes, died in a gunbattle in Sitio Libjo, Brgy. Tayak, Siaton.
The bodies of Sabinan and Fuentes, and two high-powered firearms, and war materials were left at the encounter site by their fleeing comrades, and were recovered by Army soldiers.
Sabinan had a pending arrest warrant for murder, Salcedo said.
Sabinan and Fuentes were remnants of the South East Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal-Negros, that had already been dismantled by the 302nd Infantry Brigade, Army regional spokesperson, Maj. Cenon Pancito III, said.
Aside from goods and financial assistance, the 11IB also provided burial assistance to the family of Sabinan, Salcedo said.
He added that they are facilitating the transport of the remains of Fuentes to his family in Bohol, in coordination with the 47th Infantry Battalion that traced his place of origin in Brgy. San Vicente, Trinidad in the island province.
Lt. Col. Ramir Redosendo, 11IB commander, extended his sympathies to the families of the two rebels and said that both were just victims of deception and fake ideologies inculcated in them by their leaders.
“By giving them decent burials, we want the rest to know that they are not left out, and their government and the Philippine Army will never abandon them,” Redosendo said.*
