The bodies of three Army soldiers were recovered Wednesday night in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon, the military announced yesterday.
The slain soldiers, who were in civilian clothes, were found in Sitio Kaleb, Barangay Kibalabag. Their identities were withheld pending notification of their relatives.
The three victims were earlier reported missing after failing to return to their station in Barangay Manalog after securing their subsistence allowances in the city proper.
Major General Benjamin Madrigal, the commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, blamed the New People’s Army (NPA) for the atrocity.
“Despite the incident, we continue to uphold the supremacy of the peace process,” Madrigal said. “But at the moment we already directed our troops to maintain a proactive defense of our camps. We also continue to perform our mandate to conduct law enforcement operations if needed,” he added.
Madrigal said that based on reports, the victims bore multiple gunshots wounds on different parts of their bodies.
“The battalion commander told us that the victims sustained multiple gunshot wounds, they were riddled with bullets from an M-16 rifle. The description of the troops on the ground said it was an overkill,” he said.
Madrigal said an anti-crime watchdog earlier said the soldiers were mutilated by the gunmen but it only appeared that way because they sustained bullet wounds or were riddled with bullets.
“The reason why they said that they were mutilated is that they sustained multiple gunshot wounds, tadtad sila ng bala,” Madrigal said.
Madrigal discounted the possibility that they were victims of robbery since the motorcycle they were riding on was left in the crime scene. “Their belongings and money were taken but the motorcycle was left behind to avoid getting traced by authorities,” he said.
Madrigal said there is a big possibility that the soldiers were flagged down. (FRANCIS T. WAKEFIELD)
