Soldier Wounded In Sagada Ambush Dies Increasing The Fatalities To Two

The number of soldiers who died as a result of a recent ambush perpetrated by suspected communist rebels in the town of Sagada in Mt. Province has climbed to two. Private First Class (Pfc) Hansel Onnon expired due to his injuries while being treated at the Bontoc General Hospital (BGH).

Onnon died Tuesday morning, less than two days after he was wounded in the attack which occurred at sitio Pegew in barangay Tetep-an during the evening of November 30.

Killed during the attack was Private First Class Moses Ing-inga, a native of Can-eo, Bontoc. Ing-inga and Onnon were part of a military convoy composed of two vehicles. The soldiers were on their way home after conducting a 3-day Youth Leadership Summit at the Sagada National High School. They were ambushed between 10:30 and 11:00 PM.

Five other wounded soldiers are currently being treated at the Bontoc General Hospital, some with serious injuries. They've been identified as Corporal William Agpawan, Corporal Albert Faliyan, PFC Ian Mango, PFC Jimmy Appao, and PFC Nathan Focasan.

Students and teachers during the condemnation rally in Sagada. Image credit: Karen Wendy Brett

On December 1, students, teachers, and officials of the town of Sagada held an indignation rally in front of the municipal hall. Between 300 to 500 students and teachers from Sagada National High School, Antadao National High School, Bangaan National High School and St. Mary High School trooped to town to publicly denounce the ambush.

Community elders and local officials were also present during the gathering. Sagada Mayor Eduardo Latawan Jr. reiterated that his town has been declared a peace zone so it should be free from armed conflicts.

Sagada was declared a peace zone over two decades ago in 1989. This means that it should be off-limits to warfare.