Army official: We could have killed NPA amazon; denies taking missing coed

LAGANGILANG, Abra – An army official admitted they could have killed a young New People’s Army amazon they recently captured here but they didn’t out of pity. 

This, even as the mother of a missing 17-year-old female student said she often went to a NPA camp here to use their computer for her studies.

 Lt. Col. Thomas Dominic B. Baluga, commander of 24th ’Wildcat’ Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army based here at Sitio Barbarit, Tagodtod bared these during a press conference following the July 1  encounter in Barangay Kilong. Ulao, Boliney.

The young amazon identified as Ka Johanna was captured in said  encounter.

She was wounded  and extricated from encounter site only on July 3 because of bad weather and airlifted  by the  Philippine Air Force to Bangued for treatment at Abra Provincial hospital.

Baluga admitted his men could have killed Ka Johanna during the 30-minute firefight. But he said they didn’t because they pitied her and they wanted to show her and their comrades that soldiers respect human life and human rights.

Senior Supt. Rey Antolin de Peralta said charges would be filed against the NPAs particularly Ka Johanna and her comrades .

Two of the several long firearms recovered from the NPAs matched those of the firearms issued to the Malibcong Municipal Police Station that were seized from the Malibcong police during the NPA’s attack some months ago.

Other items recovered are the uniform of the police officers, medicines and medical supplies, rice, backpacks, and basic necessities and subversive documents

Meanwhile, Baluga assured Jonalyn Tadeo,   mother of   17- year-old Regine Tadeo, a missing Grade 10 student of Mataragan National High School that they are trying to locate her. 

Tadeo said her daughter had been missing since March 2017 when they sent her to the village to get some rice and bagoong for their supply in the farm.

Tadeo admitted having been aware that her daughter had been going to the camp of the NPAs to share with their computer to do her school requirements.

Army officials denied they took Regine in their custody as claimed by human rights groups. -- PIA Abra