Gunmen ambushed and killed three Philippine Army intelligence agents on Monday in Barangay Baimbing, Lamitan City, Basilan.
Basilan Provincial Police officials and Brig. Gen. Romeo Juan Macapaz, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), confirmed on Tuesday, December 24, that the victims – Sgt. Jhonny Lapinig, Sgt. Joecel Catedral, and Pvt. Archie Cebuaños – sustained fatal gunshot wounds during the attack.
The three soldiers were traveling in a van to a remote area of Barangay Baimbing when armed assailants with assault rifles ambushed them, killing them instantly.
According to a report from the Lamitan City Police Station to PRO-BAR headquarters, the soldiers had been assigned to engage with residents who expressed a willingness to surrender unlicensed firearms as part of Basilan’s Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) Program.
This initiative, led by the 101st Infantry Brigade and Governor Hadjiman Salliman, aims to encourage disarmament in support of the Mindanao peace process.
The program has faced resistance from violent extremist groups in the province that oppose efforts to remove unregulated firearms.
Despite this opposition, the SALW initiative has successfully recovered over 500 weapons, including grenade launchers, in the past six months through voluntary surrenders facilitated by Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon of the 101st Infantry Brigade and local officials.
The SALW Program, overseen by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, complements the national government’s disarmament efforts in Mindanao. In Basilan, its implementation has been spearheaded by Salliman and the 101st Infantry Brigade.
Macapaz stated that police investigators and local authorities in Lamitan City are collaborating to solve the case and bring justice for the three slain soldiers, who were dedicated members of the 101st Infantry Brigade.
Brig. Gen. Alvin Luzon, commander of the 101st Infantry “Three Red Arrow” Brigade, mentioned that the three soldiers had conducted a coordination meeting with several barangay officials “when they were fired upon on their way back to Lamitan City.”
Lt. Col. Arlan Delumpines, Lamitan City police chief, indicated that no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. He also noted that the location is considered a “critical area.”
The brigade has already alerted the 1st Basilan Provincial Mobile Force Company (BPMFC), the 53rd Special Action Company of the Special Action Force, and the 18th Infantry Battalion to conduct a pursuit operation.