‘Tatta nga maudi nga biyag na sa mi makita isuna’ – Relative of rebel killed in Allaguia clash says they hadn’t seen him since 2007

Pinukpuk, Kalinga – Relatives of the slain New People’s Army (NPA) cadre in the Allaguia clash on Sunday mourned as they reunited with his remains after not seeing him since he left to join the movement nearly two decades ago.

The said cadre was the casualty in the ongoing pursuit operations against members of the Ilocos Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC), following the first gunfight between the military and the group on November 21 in Bayao, Pinukpuk. The rebel, whose identity was withheld, was killed in the second firefight that transpired in Allaguia on November 23.

Authorities retrieved the body and contacted the family, who came to claim the remains of their kin, whom they had long been waiting to return home and start a new life after he joined the movement in 2007.

Speaking to the 103rd Infantry Battalion, Rizal Councilor Anselmo Bador, who is a relative of the slain rebel, shared that they had been encouraging him to lay down his arms, but his indoctrination was strong, and he chose to remain in the mountains.

“Isu nga ita, adda kami tattan nga maudi nga biyag nan ket sa mi makita isuna. Ta manipud 2007 inggana tatta, haan mi nakitkita isuna. Ita lang nga natay sa mi makita isuna. Ket maysa kuma nga adal daytoy ket dagiti pay daduma nga adda dita kilusan ket agpanunut kayo kuma tapnu iti kasta ket bumaba kayo,” he said.

Allaguia Punong Barangay Neil Jun Hortelano, meanwhile, urged his constituents not to panic amid the ongoing military operations against the fleeing rebels, assuring them that the situation is under control.

“Kadagiti kakailyan nga Allaguia, awan iti ikadanag tayo ta safe tayo met. Awan met iti banta wenno anya man keta awan iti ikadanag tayo ta amin met ket kontrolado, santu safe tayo met ditoy ili tayo nga Allaguia,” he said.

As of November 24, soldiers from the 503rd Infantry Brigade engaged in another firefight with members of the ICRC they are currently pursuing—marking the sixth clash between the two groups. The incident occurred at around 8:00 p.m. No additional details have been released as of this writing.