By Jennifer P. Rendon
A Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member was killed while three others were injured in an attack attributed to the New People’s Army (NPA).
Lieutenant Colonel Harold Garcia, 61st Infantry Battalion commander, said the incident happened 7:45 a.m. Friday while a group of seven CAFGU members were fetching water at the property of the barangay tanod (watchman) of Igbucagay village in Hamtic, Antique.
Police reports identified the fatality as Michael Martano, 22, a resident of Barangay Osorio, San Remigio, Antique.
Wounded were John Carlo Cabigunda, 23, of Poblacion, San Remegio; Peter Glenn Ocario of Barangay Igcaputol, Tobias Fornier, Antique; and Nicole Indencio, 27, of Sibalom, Antique.
Reports said that Martano succumbed to a gunshot wound below his armpit.
One of them suffered an injury on his leg while the other wounded his arm and hand. The three are in stable condition.
According to reports, the group of CAFGUs was busy filling their water containers when they heard gun fire.
Some of them managed to run back to their detachment headquarters, which is just around 30 meters away from the site.
But one of them was already fatally hit before he could even take cover.
Garcia said that the suspects are believed to be members of the Suyak Platoon of NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon Panay’s Southern Front under alias Kira.
They positioned themselves on higher ground and shot the CAFGU members. They immediately fled after the incident.
“There was no intention to engage our soldiers,” Garcia said.
But more than that, Garcia lamented the NPA’s disregard for civilian lives.
“The area where our CAFGU members were fetching water is where the house of the chief tanod is. There were several civilian occupants there,” he said.
The utter ignorance of the possibility that a civilian might get hit was clear proof that they are already desperate, Garcia stressed.
The Igcabugay detachment is situated along the national highway for the Philippine Army to give security assistance to motorists passing the Iloilo-Antique road.
The area where the shooting incident happened is just at the back of the detachment.
Garcia said nearby Army troops conducted a hot pursuit operation following the incident.
