The Army’s 15th Infantry (Molave Warrior) Battalion (15IB), together with the Philippine National Police and the local government unit of Hinoba-an provided a decent burial to New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who died during the recent encounter in Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental.

On Tuesday, April 20, alias Michael/Nonoy and alias Ken-Ken were laid to rest at the public cemetery in the town’s Barangay 2, Poblacion.
This, after the families failed to claim the cadavers of the dead NPAs after a three-day waiting period given by the LGU.
“The local government unit of Hinoba-an together with 15IB and PNP spent money, time and effort to provide them a decent burial. Together, we sent them to their final rest with respect as human and as Filipino,” said Hinoba-an Mayor Ernesto Estrao.
“I hope that this tragedy will serve as a lesson to our countrymen who joined the revolutionary movement. As the mayor of this town, I condemn the presence of these terrorist groups in my municipality for they brought nothing but fears, worries, and chaos to my people,” Estrao added.
15IB Commanding Officer, Lt. Col Erwin Cariño, was saddened that no families claimed nor attended the funeral of the deceased NPA terrorists.
“This is how they treat the two NPAs whom they claimed as their comrades? They even issued a press statement to proudly honor their death, but their statement is always in contrast to their action. They abandoned their comrades like dead rats.
“These communist-terrorists have only proved and showed their true nature as a cold-blooded organization. We strongly condemn this kind of inhumane treatment. This is not tolerated nor accepted in our society, especially in our culture as Filipinos,” Cariño said.
He added, “May this tragedy serve as a reflection and lesson to everyone not to be deceived by the lies and propaganda of the terrorist movement. Now, we have seen how they exist and live as an organization, warranted by their lies and faulty promises. Let us be wary of these deceitful schemes.” /WDJ