Almalou Yee, wife of slain Sgt. Owen Yee, cries over the coffin of her husband. Photo by Angelo Andrade, ABS-CBN News

CAGAYAN DE ORO - The remains of 3 soldiers who were killed in an ambush by New People's Army (NPA) rebels last February 1 were brought to Camp Evangelista Mortuary, 4th Infantry Division in Cagayan De Oro Saturday.

The 3 soldiers namely Cpl. Pat Non, 40; Cpl. Niño Christopher Talabor, 29; and Sgt. Owen Yee, 39; all members of the Bayanihan group of the 8th Infantry Battalion, were ambushed in Sitio Kaleb, Barangay Kibalabag, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon by NPA rebels, the military said.

Each of the victims sustained a minimum of 24 gunshots, the military said.

The military condemned the attack as "barbaric" because the soldiers were unarmed and in civilian clothes at the time.

Grycel Talabor, who is 7-months pregnant with her first child, said she did not expect that her husband Niño Talabor, would be killed, since she knew him as a strong person.

"Wala na ako na-expect nga siya kay kabalo ko unsa siya ka strong, unsa siya ka abtik nabatian nako," Grycel said.

(I did not expect him to be killed. I knew him as a strong and skilled soldier.)

Almalou Yee, wife of Sgt. Owen Yee demanded justice for her husband and his comrades.

"Ang nagpatay kung kinsa man siya mas labaw ang mahitabo sa iya sa iyang gibuhat sa ako bana nga buotan kaayo," she said.

(For those who killed my husband, what will happen to you will be worse.)

The bodies of the 3 soldiers will be brought to their respective homes before being laid to rest.