MikeLigalig.com

Published by Bohol Sunday Post on July 16, 2000
IN MID-SEA TRANSFER
2 wounded rebs brought to Cebu
       TWO more wounded suspected rebels in the July 2 encounter in sitio Diis, barangay Kauswagan, Trinidad town were brought to Cebu for treatment three days after the encounter.

        T/Sgt. Narciso Tabaniag, team leader of the Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (CRS-AFP) operating in Bohol said the two were brought by habal-habal or motorcycle for hire from the hinterlands to the shoreline of Getafe town 92 kms. northeast of Tagbilaran City. Getafe is a northern Bohol town facing Cebu.

       Tabaniag said the operator whose pumpboat the wounded boarded on the way to Cebu reported the incident to Col. Eusebio Ramos, commanding officer of the 801st Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army.

       Ramos' troops figured in the encounter in Diis that claimed the life of one soldier, wounded another two and killed eight suspected rebels that included a boy.

       Ramos is keeping the name of the pumpboat operator under wraps.

       However, he said, 30 minutes into the ride, when the pumpboat was between Getafe and Cebu, an unmarked speedboat met them.

       On board were five men fully armed with high-powered firearms who asked where the rest of the wounded were. 

        The wounded reportedly answered, "Tua pa sa taas (Still in the hills)."

       One had sustained a wound in the left upper chest that allegedly bled every time he talked. The other had a wound on the right portion of his abdomen.

       Tabaniag said the pumpboat operator told Ramos that a third wounded person was supposed to be with the two. The man had a wounded left knee while only a strip of skin connected his right arm to his body. 

        Some days immediately after the clash, the fishermen along the Getafe coast agreed among themselves to remove the spark plugs from their pumpboat engines to temporarily disable them.

        These will deter the rebels from using their pumpboats for the first leg of the trip to Cebu. That Wednesday morning, however, this pumpboat operator had just returned from fishing. Informed of the agreement among his peers, he returned to the shore to remove his spark plug as well.

        To his surprise, the wounded were already aboard his boat.

         Apparently afraid that their comrade would bleed to death during the pumpboat ride, and especially when he exerts effort during the speed boat transfer, they prevailed over him to return with the habal-habal.

         From radio messages it intercepted, the military gleaned that at least 20 were killed and 35 were wounded on the rebel side.

         Tabaniag said Ramos wants these wounded located so that they can be given treatment. He also wants the dead located so that they can be given a proper burial.

        Meanwhile, to ensure that government services reach the grassroots, the local government unit of Trinidad under Mayor Filadelfo Garcia, together with the 801st Infantry Brigade and the Bohol provincial government conducted a two-day medical, dental and civic action in Kauswagan on July 13 and 14.

       The town appropriated P30,000 to buy medicines and to defray incidental expenses during the two-day activity. The provincial government also provided two boxes of medicines for the purpose. (With reports from Sean Guingguing).

* Today's Helpful Tip *
Tala app is a fast and easy way to borrow money, and it's used and trusted by many. Download Tala to join millions of Filipino users today! >>> http://inv.re/9o3vp



Linkback: https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=91732.0