The 46th IB’s soldiers fired an M203 grenade and shot two siblings in Sityo San Pedro, Barangay 3, San Jose de Buan, Samar on the afternoon of January 3. The siblings were hauling charcoal when they encountered three soldiers who suddenly opened fire at them.

Bullets hit the younger child in the chest, hand, and leg and was left at the scene. The family never learned the child’s condition and is still missing to date.

Meanwhile, the older sibling managed to escape the shooting. He said he saved himself by immediately wading and forcing his way across the flooded river.

The victims’ parents said the siblings had been making charcoal from coconut shells in nearby coconut groves since before Christmas. They have been selling charcoal for ₱26 per kilo at San Jose de Buan center. The two were working hard to earn enough money to buy a smartphone.

The family said that when the children crossed paths with the soldiers, they were hauling the last of their charcoal they had planned to deliver before the New Year. The siblings dared to cross the dangerous flooded river to deliver the charcoal and complete the amount needed to buy the smartphone before the town fiesta.

The family is grieving deeply over the incident. However, they fear coming forward and filing a complaint because of recent cases of peasant killings in their town. They worry that the soldiers will retaliate and kill another family member if they report the incident.