The family of a six-year-old boy laid him to rest after he was killed by a stray bullet during a clash between government troops and communist rebels in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday morning, October 28.
Earlier report identified the child as seven years old, but authorities later confirmed he was six.
The victim, a Grade 1 pupil at Agogolo Elementary School, lived with his family in Sitio Agogolo, Barangay Macagahay — a community that borders Sitio Matal-i in Barangay Quintin Remo, where the firefight broke out.
He was inside their home with his parents and siblings when bursts of gunfire echoed through their remote community.
Moments later, photos circulated online showing the father with his hands on his son’s lifeless body — the boy lying still, a gunshot wound visible on his head.
Moises Padilla Vice Mayor Pimpoy Yulo said on Wednesday, October 29, that the parents decided not to prolong their son’s wake and chose to lay him to rest immediately.
The local government had extended financial assistance to the grieving family.
According to the military, residents allegedly reported the presence of armed men demanding food and supplies from locals, which prompted the soldiers from the 62nd Infantry Battalion under the 302nd Infantry Brigade to verify the situation and secure the area.
Attacked?
Brigadier General Jason Jumawan, commander of the 302nd Infantry Brigade, said the troops were allegedly attacked by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) while responding to those reports.
“The soldiers were compelled to defend themselves while remaining mindful of the civilians nearby. Their primary intent was to push the terrorists away from the populace and secure the community,” he claimed in a statement.
Jumawan condemned the rebels for endangering civilians, saying they opened fire even though they knew the area was populated. The firefight that followed lasted between 10 and 30 minutes.
“They were fully aware that the place was populated with innocent civilians. Yet, without hesitation or regard for civilian safety, they attacked the soldiers, clearly showing their disrespect for human life and disregard for the welfare of the people they exploit,” he said.
Soldiers later recovered empty M16 cartridges, a 40mm M203 grenade launcher, food supplies, and other personal belongings from the encounter site.
The commander said that no soldiers were hurt, but the military believes several rebels were wounded.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) told Brigada News FM Philippines that they are verifying the incident to determine whether any violations of human rights or international humanitarian law occurred.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.