Army Soldier Gunned Down by NPA Rebels in Albay

CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, CamSur – An off-duty soldier who took a leave to visit his family was gunned down by suspected NPA rebels near his home in Legaspi City, a military official said here today.

Colonel Leoncio Cirunay, Operations Officer of the 9th Infantry Division, said that Private First Class Ronnel Galvez, 27, was unarmed when he was assassinated by two gunmen at around 11:00pm last night (19 November).

“Pfc Galvez was on weekend leave status since yesterday afternoon. He was with some friends when he was approached by two pistol-wielding gunmen who shot him at close range,” said Cirunay.

Responding policemen said that Galvez bore twenty-nine gunshot wounds from 9mm and Cal 45 pistols, resulting to his instantaneous death.

Prior to the incident, Galvez was warned by his superiors about the ‘shoot-to-kill’ (STK) order by the NPA which includes his (Galvez’s) name.

The STK list was recovered in an encounter in Goa town in Camarines Sur in August. The list includes names of active soldiers, policemen and civilians who are accused as military informants.

The military has recorded five (5) soldiers as victims of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s (CNN) extra-judicial killings this year alone. Eight militiamen (CAFGU) and a policeman were also listed among the victims of the ‘liquidations’.

A total of 42 people have perished in the killings perpetrated by the red terror group (CPP-NPA-NDF) in CY 2010.

In a statement released to a local radio station yesterday, the communist rebel group claimed the killing of a certain Angeles Bongcolmo and Jaime Bergado whom they accused as having ‘grave offenses against the masses’.

Major General Ruperto Pabustan, Commander of the 9th Infantry Division has directed the subordinate units to remind all soldiers to remain vigilant against the bandit group’s planned attacks against ‘soft targets’ such as unarmed soldiers.

A complaint about human rights violations is also readied by the 9th ID against the perpetrators who are believed to be members of the Front Committee 78 of the CPP-NPA-NDF.