First burst of gunfire came

From inside house-witness

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, March 2 (PIA) –A day after allegations of a massacre of the five-armed men in Campagao Bilar flooded the news media, witnesses who were not able to flee the site before the gunfire started, aver: the first volley of fire came from inside the house.

February 23, at about 5:00 AM, police officers and members of the Provincial Intelligence Unit (PIU), accompanied by armed police personnel and the 47th Infantry Battalion of the Armed Forces of the Philippines troops conducted a Joint Enhanced Military and Police Operations (JEMPO) to deliver a warrant of arrest to Bohol’s most wanted person, Domingo Compoc, who was wanted to a battery of suits including murder, frustrated murder, and attempted murder.

With Compoc who was the squad leader at that time was alias Aldrin, assistant squad leader and political guide (Segovia in the Periodic Status Report of the PNP), Marlon Omosura (alias Darwin), alias Juaning who was later identified at Alberto Sancho, and alias Maya (later identified as bar passer and legal rights activist Hanna Jay Cesista.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Norman Nuez, Bohol Provincial Police Office spokesperson, in a later press conference said the operation, led by the police and with the army troops providing blocking support, was intelligence-driven and took over a month before they could finally pinpoint the location of the band of armed men led by Compoc, during that day.

On that fateful day, based on the blood trails and accounts of the Scene of the Crime Operations (SOCO) team, the body of Police Corporal Gilbert Amper and the blood trails of another wounded police officer was found about 15 meters from the house, where the armed men were staying that night.

“Ang unang bubobuto, didto gikan sa sulod,” (The first burst of gunfire came from inside the house) narrates Jonas Bantolinao, who was not able to flee when the volley of gunfire started.

Bantolinao, who is a cousin of Francisco Bantolinao, upon whose house Compoc and his men rested that night, is about 10 meters away from his neighbor’s main door.

After the exchange of gunfire, he heard shouting, saying: Patyan ta’g usa, usa samdan. (We have one dead, one wounded).

A few minutes later, Jonas Bantolinao, who dropped to the ground during the initial burst of gunfire heard: Surrender na mo, Bay Marlon, kadtong imong inahan ug amahan gani hingsurrender na, surrender na ‘mo, di lagi mo hilabtan.” (Surrender now, Bay Marlon, your mother and father have already surrendered, surrender now, you will not be harmed.)

The reply from within the house was a rapid fire.

A few more minutes, “Surrender na lang mo, iphan mo namo….” (Surrender, we will count 1-10).

“Pagbuto og kusog, murag nag-uwan og bas, batobato sa bay,” (at the loud explosion, it was like raining sand and pebbles in the house) shares another witness Elizabeth, who lives in a house after Jonas’.

During those times too, when the police team were still seeking cover and maneuvering in between the exchange of gunfire, except for alias Maya, Compoc and his band were able to go out of the semi-concrete house, shirtless and dove to hold defensive positions at the yard.

Compoc, with an M16 armalife rifle, took the south east corner of the house and a short climb before he could scale the smooth face of the craved hill to the forested part at the back of the house, their possible escape route.

Armed with another armalite rifle, alias Juaning took the northwest corner of the house, laying prone and protected by a low clump of dirt, behind him and about five meters, protecting the southwest, based on testimonies of the Bilar Police Investigation Team, was alias Aldrin.

Alias Maya, meanwhile stayed at the back of alias Aldrin, whom police intelligence reports would say, was just married to alias Maya.

After two hours and 45 minutes of fierce firefight, police neutralized Domingo Compoc (Dagohoy Bilar), alias Juaning (Alberto Sancho from Cebu), Parlito Historia alias Aldrin (lilo-an Sur, Inabanga), Hanna Jay Cesista (alias Maya of Catubig Northern Samar) and Marlon Omosura (alias Darwin Sampoangon Calape) who slipped through the intense fire fight and into the waiting sights of the army blocking force at the back of the hill where the rebels fought it out with the government troops.

Also recovered during the encounter were an M16 baby armalite, R4 M16, another M16 and three 4.45 caliber pistols, along with some highly incriminating subversive documents and paraphernalia, personal belongings and unspent ammunition.

Compoc was the highest official of the defunct Bohol Party Committee, and who along with his band of armed men harboring for the night in a house in Sitio Malinao II, barangay Campagao, Bilar Bohol, were said to be tha last remnants of the local rebel group. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

BOHOL CARHRIHL TEAM. Gov Erico Aristotle Aumentado sent a team from the Provincial Peace and Order Council on a fact finding mission to determine if there were violations of the human rights and international humanitarian law which transpired during the February 23 Campagao Bilar encounter, amidst allegations from leftist organizations of massacre and murder in Bilar. The team interviewed witnesses and operatives involved in the 2 hours and 45 minutes of firefight. (rahc/PIABohol)

FROM BEHIND SHATTERED WINDOW. Commission on Human Rights Bohol chief Jonathan Tibay joined the PPOC Team to investigate on the encounter which leftist organizations fed media with allegations of massacre and murder. A police officer died and another was wounded when they were to serve an arrest warrant to Domingo Compoc who was in a house in Campagao Bilar. (rahc/PIABohol)