PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte will be in Cagayan de Oro City Friday, March 3, to visit the wake of two soldiers killed-in-action (KIA) in the military’s on-going combat operations against the New People’s Army (NPA).
Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) said President Duterte will also speak with wounded soldiers recuperating in the military hospital inside Camp Edilberto Evangelista in Barangay Patag.
Martinez said the President will bestow on the two KIAs and four wounded soldiers of the 58th Infantry Battalion the military’s Medal of Gallantry.
The casualties are part of the troops who have been conducting combat operations against members of the Guerrilla Front 4-B of the NPA in the mountain ranges of Misamis Oriental this week.
The slain soldiers are identified as Private First Class (PFC) Oshin Rosala and Corporal Marzon Morales while wounded in action are PFC Marquin Variacion and Vincent Nino Lopez and Private Regie Joy Duyan and Ramon Balibagon Jr.
Martinez also said based from the accounts of civilians in the communities affected by the renewed fighting, the rebels also suffered an undetermined number of casualties and that they were seen carrying their own casualties.
Martinez said the military will be relentless in going after the NPA rebels who were said to be conducting acts of economic sabotage as well as extortion from business entities and in the region.
"The current operations is our simultaneous efforts for the whole area of the 4ID with the aim of stopping the economic sabotage and extortion activities of the NPA," Martinez said.
