Holganza suspects that Gregorio is the one who is connected with the NPA. The official noted that during a search of his residence after the clash, the soldiers found an M14 rifle �elaborately hidden.�
Holganza also said there was no reason to punish his men for the killing of Buya although he said that he is willing to apologize with the girl�s family once it is finally established that she is not a child warrior.
Ay present, he said no initial sanctions have been taken against 2Lt. Francis John Gabawa, who led the operation, and his men — all from the Army�s 67th Infantry Battalion, since the March 31 clash that also left a soldier dead.
�Why is he going to be accountable? The issue is whether she is a child warrior or not. The issue of her (Buya) being a child warrior or not and the issue of her death are different,� Holganza said.
�What we are seeing is that her death, at the very least, was a crossfire incident,� he said.
Capt. Jose Francis dela Fuente, spokesman of the Army�s 8th Infantry Division, earlier reported that the girl was indeed a child warrior.
On the other hand, Holganza said: �There was no conclusion yet in the initial investigation that she is a child warrior.� He said he is not convinced that Gelacio is a �child warrior.�
The Army general also categorically belied some reports that quoted him as saying that Gelacio was good at handling a firearm.
�She was seen holding a gun but she was not seen firing� Reports attributed to me as saying she was good at handling a firearm, I never said that. I categorically deny that I said that she is good at handling a firearm,� he said.
Asked what made him doubt that Gelacio is a child warrior, Holganza merely said: �She is a child. At the very least, granted that she is not a child warrior, I am appealing to the other side not to let children play around with firearms.� (davaotoday.com, with a Philippine News Agency report)