Cebu student killed in clash
By Mia E. Abellana Sun.Star Staff Reporter
With Elisabeth P. Baumgart
TWO Cebu residents were killed in an encounter between suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members and 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) soldiers in Sitio Langub, Barangay Malungcay Dako, Dauin, Oriental Negros last Thursday.
Authorities identified them as Rachelle Mae Palang, 21, of Barangay Poblacion, Consolacion town and Jerry Cabungcag of Sitio Mabuhay, Barangay Luz, Cebu City.
A third casualty was identified as Federico “Edong” Villalongha.
Palang, a nursing student of Cebu Velez College, is believed to be an officer of militant College Editors Guild of the Philippines-(CEGP) Visayas chapter.
All three casualties were taken to the Clarin Funeral Homes after the 45-minute firefight around 3 p.m.
Lt. Col. Bernard Neri, 79th IB commander, told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday that Palang was recognized through a voter’s identification card found in her backpack.
She allegedly carried an M16 rifle, while companions were respectively armed with an M16 and M14 rifles.
Neri and Oriental Negros Provincial Police Office Director Augusto Marquez, though, would not confirm if Palang is the same one listed as CEGP Visayas vice president.
Neri, however, said he received many calls on Palang being a CEGP member.
A source from the CEGP confirmed that CEGP members have been in Oriental Negros for “several months,” although the source is not confirming if a member was killed in an encounter with the military last Thursday.
“I cannot tell what happened there or why they went there. I have yet to confirm what happened there,” said the source who refused to be named.
The source said they received reports of a military encounter but was not sure if there were casualties.
But the source took the statement back in a follow up interview after casualties were confirmed by the military.
“No, I did not say that any of them left several months ago for Negros,” the source said.
In fact, the source said, all CEGP Cebu members were in Cebu.
“How can they be gone for several months when CEGP members are still studying? Naa man sila’y mga academics (They have to prioritize their academics),” she said.
But when asked for the whereabouts of Rachelle Mae Palang, the vice president of the CEGP-Visayas, the source claimed not knowing where she was.
The source’s last conversation with Palang was in July and added that Palang might be on vacation.
“I cannot say that that person (killed) is her (Palang). I will not confirm that that person (Palang) is a member of CEGP,” the source said.
For now, the source said, the CEGP is yet to confirm if there was an encounter and if there were casualties.
“We will have to clarify everything. With the military, how would they knew that those people were CEGP members. CEGP members are still studying after all. We will have to get more information,” the source added.
The voter’s identification card retrieved by the military showed the name of the slain student was Rachelle Anne Palang.
A woman from the funeral parlor, however, said the girl’s name was really Rachelle Mae and that her parents, particularly the father identified as Elenito, have already claimed her body.
Palang’s family reportedly planned to bring her remains back to Consolacion.
Sun.Star Cebu tried but failed to get in touch with Elenito for his comment.
Elenito, Marquez said, was a former Consolacion municipal councilor and a brother of Bishop Antonio Palang.
Neri also said members of human rights group Karapatan claimed the bodies of Cabungcag and Villalongha yesterday afternoon.
AS of press time last night, however, the bodies have yet to be released.
Sitio Langub is some 40 kilometers from Dumaguete City. Marquez said it is a deserted area in a mountain village.
Neri said the encounter site is a forested area and without residents.
He said the encounter was a result of reports a few weeks ago from civilians on an armed group collecting food from and trying to organize residents of sitios in
Malungcay Dako.
Aside from the three bodies and three high-powered firearms, the army also recovered backpacks, jungle hammocks, personal belongings, “subversive” documents, and first aid supplies.
Neri said they received reports that some students were in Oriental Negros mountains since summer for training, and believed that Palang was one of them.
He received reports Palang told her parents she was going to Oriental Negros for a medical mission. He said it was possible she was a medical student because of the first aid supplies in her bag.
Neri added they were still asking other military units to verify the backgrounds of the three casualties.
He said Villalongha appeared to be the platoon leader of the group.
In 2005, another CEGP member and Anakbayan chairman Marvin Marquez and seven others were shot dead by the military during an encounter in Barangay Kauswagan, Trinidad, Bohol last Sunday. He was 25 and said to have been unarmed.
The Central Command has issued statements recently that the Komiteng Rehiyong Sentral Bisayas (Central Visayas Regional Party Committee) of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is now based in southeast Oriental Negros.
Cebu Velez College student killed in clash between Army and rebels
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