NPA elements assault Malaga: Village councilor wounded, houses looted

By GINA DEAN-RAGUDO, Samar News.com
October 31, 2010

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar  –  Some 30 NPA (New People’s Army) members allegedly assaulted Brgy. Malaga, Tinambacan District, Calbayog City at past 4 o’clock this morning, looted three houses and shot the village councilor using an M16 armalite rifle.

The victim was identified as Mark Anthony Giray, rank 1 in the latest barangay elections.

Another resident named JR Cantiga was tied by a rope and held hostage for almost 2 hours when the troops were roving around the area.

A tanod member said that the suspects were composed of men and women, using hand-held radios, and were looking for a person named Arturo Flor. “Waray na sa Malaga ini si Arturo Flor, kaiha pa. Buotan man ini siya nga tawo… bisan pa kam magpakiana san mga tawo,” he added.

No police authorities and military elements were able to respond the area during the two hours captivity as their communication equipment were seized and the house of Punong Barangay Eugene Monuz and two others were ransacked, taking away with them sets of cellular phones, jewelry and money, he further said.

Buses and other vehicles bound for north and south sections were also used as blockade while the troops were conducting checkpoint, the tanod clarified.

It was past 5 in the morning when the NPA elements withdrew from the area taking with them one wounded comrade, the tanod said.

“Ira ada naunay an usa nira nga kaupod… pagkita ko patay na,” he added.

Aside from valuables items looted from the residents’ houses, suspects were able to embezzle one shotgun from the house of Arturo Flor.

Village Councilor Mark Anthony Giray was immediately brought at St. Camillus Hospital this city for medication.