President Rodrigo Roa Duterte visits the killed-in-action soldiers in 4th Infantry Division

Camp Evangelista Chapel, 4th Infantry Division, Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City
February 4, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte awarded the Military Merit Medals to soldiers who were killed-in-action (KIA) as he visited the wake of three (3) soldiers in Camp Evangelista Chapel at the 4th Infantry Division, Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City.

The slain soldiers from the Philippine Army (PA) were Cpl. Owen B. Yee, PFC. Pat O. Non, and PFC. Nino Christopher I. Talabor. They were attacked by the New People’s Army (NPA) along Sitio Kaleb, Barangay Kibalabag in Malaybalay City on February 1, 2017.

During the President’s visit, he expressed his condolences and handed cash assistance to the families. He also committed that the government would cover the education fees of the children left by the soldiers.

The soldiers belonged to the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) who were conducting a community support program in Barangay Manalog, Malaybalay City. They left the barangay unarmed just to secure the requirements needed for the program and to get their subsistence allowances. They were killed by the NPA as they were about to go back to the community.

The Commander in Chief expressed his sentiments as he talked to the families of the killed soldiers. “From now on, I will consider CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army - National Democratic Front) as terrorists,” he emphasized.

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