MANILA - The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility over the killing of an Army soldier last Sunday in a mountain village in Davao City.

A Simon Santiago, described as a political director of the NPA in Southern Mindanao, in a statement posted on the Web site of the Communist Party of the Philippines said that Army Cpl. Orly Pedregoza was killed by an NPA team which was supposed to arrest him.

“Cpl. Orly Pedregosa, an operative of the 10th Infantry Division's (ID) Military Intelligence Battalion (MIB) was to be arrested… He was armed, dangerous and gave battle to the NPA arresting team that resulted to his death,” said Santiago in the statement.

Santiago said Pedregoza was an operative of the 10th Infantry Division's Military Intelligence Battalion and was “indicted by a People’s Court” along with 20 others “last March 29 for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international humanitarian law in the abduction, torture, rape and brutal murder of Rebelyn M. Pitao.”

Rebelyn, daughter of ranking NPA leader Leoncio Pitao also known as Commander Parago, was reportedly found dead near an irrigation ditch in Davao del Norte last March. Purportedly, she was found with stab wounds and torture marks as well indications that she raped.

The NPA statement also said that 3 hand grenades, intelligence documents, a .357 pistol were seized from Pedregoza as well as a counterfeit P1,000 bill.

The statement added that also indicted with Pedregoza were “11 MIB officials, members and agents, four officials, members and agents of the Military Intelligence Group XI of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other top AFP commanders.”

It said it will continue to implement the arrest order of the “People’s Court.”

Pedregoza, a resident of Paquibato died on the spot due to multiple gunshot wounds to the head in the ambush which occurred in the mountain village of Malabog in Paquibato District in Davao City.

Pedregoza was reportedly attending a religious festivity of Filipinista, Philippine Independent Church, a local Christian religious sect, when he was gunned down by two assailants while talking to some friends and acquaintances.

Two civilians were also wounded in the incident and were identified as Jefrey Labtic, a motorcycle-for-hire or “habal-habal” driver, and Jolito Atig, a Lumad farmer who both suffered gunshot wounds.

Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, Army’s 10th ID commanding general, expressed grief over the incident and had condemned the murder.