DAVAO CITY: Local bagani (tribal defenders) of Barangay Sto. Niño in Laak town, Davao de Oro were attacked recently by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA), killing one tribal leader and wounding another. The bagani, who were armed with homemade shotguns that they use for traditional boar and fowl hunting, were able to exchange fire with the NPA rebels. The Philippine Army’s 60th Iinfantry Battalion spokesman, 1st Lt. Amadeuz Celestial, identified the tribal leader as Bensar Alcano. Another bagani sustained a gunshot wound and was brought to the hospital for treatment. Early this year, around 1,000 former members and supporters of the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines publicly withdrew their llegiance to the rebels and declared them and their legal front organizations as persona non grata.
