A FORMER ranking chieftain of the New People's Army and said to be the grandson of Francisco Dagohoy was gunned down on his birthday while he bought medicines at a drugstore along Gallares St. , this city, Thursday evening. Dagohoy who hailed from barangay Magtangtang, Danao, led the longest revolt against Spain making him some sort of a folk hero among Boholanos. In the history of the city's unsolved killings, the death of Ronald Sendrijas who turned 35 last Thursday was the 16th, according to a compilation of slay statistics of Station DYTR. Those killed included those executed in gangland fashion by suspects who are still in their teens and fully armed. The young boys are members of two teenage gangs who resorted to killing their rivals even without provocation. In the roster of militant killings, Sendrijas was the fourth to be felled by bullets. The victims of extra judicial liquidation who were members of militant groups tagged the military as the perpetrator. The list of victims included Victor Olayvar and Mario Auxilio, who were murdered in separate occasions last year. The death of Sendrijas came at a time when he was no longer active in the underground.

Out on bail due to rebellion charges, Sendrijas was believed to have already joined the mainstream. In fact, he just took his oath of office as barangay secretary of San Jose in Inabanga. He was killed by an assailant who rode in a motorcycle and driven by another man who wore a ski bonnet. The gunman did not bother to hide his face when he carried out the killing. Sendrijas sustained two gunshot wounds on his neck and nape that caused his instantaneous death. SPO4 David Niluag, Tagbilaran PNP criminal investigator, said Sendrijas was assisting his sister who gave birth at the Ramiro Community Hospital .

The victim went out of the hospital to buy medicine for his sister at Paz Pharmacy which is located just across the street. When Sendrijas was near the pharmacy, two men riding a motorcycle suddenly approached him. One of them shot him twice, causing his instantaneous death. The incident occurred about 9:20 Thursday evening. A retired Civil Relations Service non-commissioned officer confirmed that Sendrijas had been active in the leftist underground movement many years ago. Retired Sgt. Narciso Tabaniag Jr. said Sendrijas was implicated in several NPA activities in Bohol and Cebu. Sendrijas was allegedly involved in the NPA raid of a military detachment in Sta. Fe, Danao town several years ago. The raid was timed for the anniversary of the 12th Infantry Battalion based in Carmen town.

The raiders pretended to be Army soldiers from Carmen who brought food including lechon for the soldiers manning the detachment. One of the sentries however recognized Sendrijas among those aboard an Isuzu Elf truck and alerted the soldiers about the rebel presence. Sendrijas was a former seminarian who joined activist groups until he was reported to have gone underground. He was arrested in Cebu but was transferred to the Bohol Detention and Rehabilitation Center until he was allowed to post bail. Sendrijas was appointed barangay secretary of San Jose , Inabanga which was an indication that he intended to return to the folds of the law. The police are still trying to determine the identities of the suspects and the motive for the killing.

BAYAN CONDEMNS KILLING

In a press statement, Bayan-Bohol immediately condemned the killing and accused the military hit squad as responsible for the crime. John Ruiz, Bayan secretary-general in an interview over DYTR minced no words in blaming the military for the treacherous act. Ruiz zeroed in on elements of the 302nd Infantry Brigade as responsible behind the Sendrijas murder. But Col. Cesar Yano, commanding officer of the 302nd IB based in Carmen denied any involvement of his men in the killing. Yano said Sendrijas even cooperated with the military after his release in jail and there was no way that the blame of his death will be heaped on them. In another interview, Sgt. Tabanag maintained the standard military line of militant killings as part of the New People's Army purging process. Previous killings of militant leaders in Bohol were also blamed to the NPA on suspicion that they were either deep penetration agents or those who wanted to be back in the folds of the law.