Philippine Army’s 1001st Infantry Brigade based in Maco, Davao de Oro identified the fatalities as Jojarain Alce Nguho II alias Rain, Chad Booc alias Chad, a certain alias Daday, and two unidentified males.
Booc was arrested in a Bakwit school in San Carlos University in Cebu City for alleged trafficking of Indigenous People from Talaingod, Davao del Norte sometime February 2021. However, he was later released along with six others following the decision of the court in Cebu City.
According to the military, Booc graduated Cum Laude from UP Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Computer Science. He was a known activist and recruiter to the communist terrorist group (CTG) even in his UP days.
He was also part of Manilakbayan, a protest march organized by the CTG involving Indigenous Peoples coming mainly from Mindanao in 2015. After his college days, he volunteered as a Mathematics teacher in the Alternative Learning Center for Agricultural Development (ALCADEV) in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, and later for the Bakwit School in Cebu.
Nguho, meanwhile, was also a CTG scholar who graduated from Liceo de Tagum and a volunteer teacher in Community Technical College of Southern Mindanao (CTCSM) in Barangay Lapu-lapu, Maco, Davao de Oro.
To recall, these CPP-NPA affiliated schools including Salugpungan Schools in Davao Region were all closed down by the government.
Recovered from the encounter site were an M653 rifle, caliber 45 pistol, a hand grenade, anti-personnel mine, assorted food supplies, and personal belongings.
Brigadier General Jesus Durante lll, commander of the 1001st IB said that neutralization of Booc proved that the so-called Lumad Schools like ALCADEV, MISFI, Salugpungan, CTCSM, and others are indeed breeding grounds of the CTG.
He said it is in these institutions where innocent IP children are being radicalized and influenced to take arms against the government.
Durante has called on the parents whose children are still with these institutions to take action by rescuing them immediately before it is too late.
“Seek help from the authorities so that we can eventually rescue them,” Durante added.
Major General Nolasco Mempin, the newly assumed commander of 10th Infantry Division extended his sincerest condolences to the families of the slain Communist NPA Terrorists as this would not happen if they opted to lay down their arms and abandon the armed struggle.
“We have warned them multiple times to peacefully surrender to the government, however, they chose to resist to continue the bloodshed that resulted in their demise. Together with their former comrades, we again urge the remaining members of the CTG to return to the folds of the law,” Mempin said.
Photos:1001st Brigade
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