By YAS D. OCAMPO, Martin Sadongdong
DAVAO CITY – Two Lumad tribal leaders were killed by alleged members of the New People’s Army inside their home early morning of Sunday.
In a statement, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) spokesperson Maj. Ezra Balagtey identified the slain victims as Datu Banadjao Mampaundag and son Jhonard Mampaundag.
The two were killed by “Tagalog-speaking” armed men reportedly posed as soldiers and entered the victims’ place in Sitio Igang, Brgy. Palma Gil, Talaingod, Davao del Norte.
“Medical personnel from Talaingod on board ambulance tried to give assistance to the victims but were stopped when they heard an IED explosion,” Balagtey said.
Balagtey said that the cadavers are still in the area and have not been retrieved as of presstime.
The Eastmincom added that rebels are still in the area and could be preparing an ambush against responding troops.
The NPA has not yet owned up to the attack as of this writing.
The latest attack came just days after President Duterte addressed around 1,000 tribal leaders in a meeting in Davao City last week.
Duterte offered shelter, social services, education, and salaries to Lumads caught in the middle of the conflict between government troops and rebels.
Duterte even offered conscription for Lumads as Cafgus, but only if they finish high school.
The chief executive would even make available all the resources of the executive branch to link Lumad tracts of land, especially those granted under Ancestral Domains, with big businesses, but only if the tribes decided which industry would benefit them.
The move would mean assistance of up to R100 million for those who decide to be part of the program.
Meantime, an alleged NPA who is said to be facing murder charges was arrested by joint police and military officers in the Caraga region over the weekend.
In a statement late Saturday, the PNP-Caraga (Police Regional Office-13) identified the nabbed suspect as Leonida Padilla Guao, 64, of Purok 6, Brgy. Babag, Butuan City.
According to police, Guao was identified as the head of the Finance and Regional Education Bureau of the Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP/NPA).
Police said Guao was arrested around 2:50 p.m. Friday in Purok 3B, Brgy. Bading, Butuan City after elements of the Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit-13 (13th RCIDU), and Regional Intelligence Division, backed by men from the 402nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, served the arrest warrant against him.