RIZAL, Nueva Ecija — Irene Ducusin, a housewife, was just starting her morning chores when a burst of gunfire from the vacant lot some 20 meters away from her residence brought her running for cover in Sition Kaipilan, Poblacion West here at about 7 a.m. Friday.
Ducusin initially went inside her house but still fearing for life, proceeded to their concrete toilet.
“Noon lang ako nakarinig ng ganun karaming putok, sari- saring tunog,” Ducusin said.
After the exchange of fire, Ducusin said, she saw two green plated cars with people lying dead on open doors and military and police personnel checking the area.
The area was a grassy land along a drying river surrounded by rugged terrains.
The military said the eight occupants of one Toyota Corolla (UGN-659) and one Mitsubishi Lancer (TNN-891) were members of the rebel group Hukbong Mapagpalaya ng Bayan (HMB) who came from as far as Batangas allegedly to rob the payroll money of an undisclosed private company in Aurora province.
Col. Felicito Trinidad, commander of the Philippine Army’s 702nd Brigade, said the operation was conducted by composite forces from the Army and the Nueva Ecija police provincial office (NEPPO) originally to apprehend the suspects based on intelligence reports of their presence.
“But they opened fire on the team,” he said, prompting government forces to fire back.
Recovered from the crime scene were five .38 revolvers, one .9mm pistol and two hand grenades.
Trinidad said they have yet to ascertain if the suspects were still active in HMB or have turned to to mere banditry.
Supt. Edgard Okubo, head of the PNP’s provincial public safety company (PPSC) said no relatives of the suspects have so far surfaced to identify them.
He identified three of them only by the aliases Ka Cesar, Ka Jeffrey and Ka Ric.
Police said the group was in the area while waiting for an opportunity to execute the robbery.
Trinidad said the group was also tagged in extortion activities perpetrated on fishpond operators in Pampanga and adjoining provinces.
Ducusin said residents have noticed strangers people frequenting the area days before the encounter. But they ignored their presence.
