ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews / 25 January) – The lone survivor in the January 23 ambush in Munai, Lanao del Norte recalls they were ambushed by “more or less 10 young aggressive terrorists” while crossing a shallow river in Barangay Lininding.
The 29-year old Dela Cruz narrated details of the ambush during his conversation with Armed forces Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner and Army Chief Lt. Gen. Antonio Nafarrete who visited him at the Mercy Hospital on Saturday.
Brawner, Nafarrete, Maj. Gen. Yegor Rey Barroquillo Jr. of the 1st Infantry Division were in Iligan to attend the wake and condole with the families of the four soldiers who were killed in the Munai ambush allegedly by the Dawlah Islamiyah (DI)-Maute Group.
Dela Cruz, who was also wounded in the 2017 Marawi Siege, and in an encounter with communist rebels in Misamis Occidental in 2023, recalled that members of Task Unit Tabang on board a blue Toyota Avanza were enroute to Bacolod town, 30 kilometers away, for marketing. They were not in uniform and did not use a military vehicle.
He said the role of Task Unit Tabang is to “assist the communities in building schools, basketball court, help the school children and other community activities.”
“Tabang” is Cebuano word for help.
Dela Cruz said they were crossing a shallow river when the first burst of gunfire hit their driver, “followed by series of gunfire.”
He said the young armed men who ambushed them are believed to be new recruits of the Dawlah Islamiyah-Maute Group.
“I was able to grab an R-4 in front of our vehicle and was able to return fire twice but the magazine was hit. I used my 45 caliber pistol but my right hand was hit and the right side of my body,” he said.
He said one of his companions alighted from the vehicle on the right side and was immediately hit. He died instantly. He estimates the distance between his fallen comrade and the young gunmen to be around 10 meters.
“Naka-maneuver kog tago sa bagang kasagbutan ug may balas og wa ko nila makita samtang ga clearing sila (I concealed myself behind the thick bushes and sandy soil so they were not able to find me while they were clearing the area), he said.
Dela Cruz said the assailants approached their vehicle, “finished my comrades and pulled them out to the river.”
He said he may have hit one of the assailants.
“Sana mabigyan nga hustisya ang lahat na namatay na nga sundalo. Masakit mawalan ng padre de pamilya kasi siya ang haligi nga tahanan” (I hope justice can be given to the soldiers. It is so painful to lose the pillar of the family), Maria Araya, widow of SSgt Diosito Araya of the 1st Civil Military Operations Battalion.
Araya was killed along with Sgt Gilbert P. Arnoza of the 106th Infantry Battalion (IB), Sgt. Junel M. Calgas of the 97th IB, and Pvt Sean Mark Laniton of the 44th IB.
“Nakikiramay kami sa mga pamilya sa mga nasawing mga sundalo sa ambush” (We condole with the families of the soldiers slain in ambush,” Brawner said, adding they would investigate what happened and if there were lapses, to ensure these are corrected “so that we can avoid the same incident in the future.”
Brawne urged the Dawlah-Islamiyah to surrender peacefully. This group, along with the Abu Sayyaf and Maute Group, was behind the siege of Marawi in 2017. Brawner was among senior officials deployed to Marawi during the siege.
Brawner said he met with commanders in the area and vowed that “by the end of 2026, we will be able to defeat the communist terrorists, local terrorists, including the lawless elements in order to attain peace and development.”
Brawner and Nafarette handed over financial assistance to the families of the four slain soldiers and the wounded survivor whom they visited at the Mercy Hospital here.
Brawner pinned the Wounded Personnel Medal on Corporal Dela Cruz.
The Climate Conflict Action, an independent NGO monitoring group warned of a resurgence of recruitment among the youth in Central Mindanao and Lanao provinces in the past two years. (Richel V. Umel / MindaNews)
