THE military said five New People’s Army fighters were killed after a series of encounters with the soldiers in Davao de Oro province yesterday morning.
However, two of those killed were known teachers of tribal schools, said Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, information officer of the Army 10th Infantry Division.
Tito identified one of those killed as activist and volunteer community teacher Chad Booc who gained prominence after he and several others were accused of training lumad “child warriors” at the University of San Carlos Talamban Campus in Cebu City on Feb. 15, 2021.
The university denied that the children received military training on its campus.
Tito said the other one who died Jojarain Alce Nguho III, a volunteer teacher of the Community Technical College of Southern Mindanao in Barangay Lapu-lapu, Maco, Davao de Oro.
The military said Booc and Nguho were among the five NPA rebels killed in a series of encounters within Purok 8, Barangay Andap, New Bataan town in Davao de Oro Thursday morning.
Tito said civilian residents notified the soldiers belonging to the 1001st Infantry Brigade of the rebels foraging for food in their hinterland village.
“The firefight started at around 4 am and lasted throughout the morning. There was a total of three encounters in the forested section of the village,” Tito said.
Tito said based on the documents found in the scene, the soldiers encountered 20 rebels belonging to the regional headquarters of the NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Committee and its regional operational command.
He said the rebels left five bodies including that of Booc and Nguho after they fled.
Tito said aside from documents, the soldiers also found an M653 rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, a grenade, and one anti-personnel landmine.
“The soldiers did not know it was Booc until he was positively identified by one former rebel,” Tito said.
Booc graduated Cum Laude from UP Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. After he graduated, Booc volunteered as a mathematics teacher in the Alternative Learning Center Agricultural Development (Alcadev), a school for lumad children in Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
The military has tagged Alcadev and other lumad schools as fronts for the NPA. The government has since closed down the schools in Mindanao.
Police have charged Booc and several others for allegedly trafficking lumad children in Cebu City in February 2021. The court dismissed the charges and Booc was released from jail.
The 10th Army Division commander Major Gen. Nolasco Mempen extended his condolences to the slain communist rebels and urged the remaining rebels to lay down their firearms.
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