Emergency responders who were hit by explosives of the New People’s Army during the latter’s operations against government forces last March 2 received indemnification Monday through church leaders.
Residents of Typhoon Pablo (International Name: Haiyan)-hit town of Cateel, Davao Oriental said they were discouraged by a barangay official and an Army officer from joining a rally last month that demanded “fair distribution of food and other relief materials”.
After their successive attacks on police and military troops in Matanao, Davao del Sur, the New People’s Army issued a statement saying their attacks were “punishment” for protecting a mining company and criminal syndicates.
Sheena Duazo, spokesperson of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said during a press conference Wednesday that they would like to put the incident “on record,” adding that the case was “part of a pattern of surveillance and monitoring which many us in the progressive group have become targets of.”
Simultaneous attacks by New People’s Army guerrillas on a police station and reinforcement troops resulted to the death of three police personnel and seven soldiers including a lieutenant.
“Since 28 January up to this moment, this exact moment, I can attest that there are still military forces camping in our community, 7 houses are occupied including mine” Christina Lantao said.
“The P40, 000 per family demand of Abbat is enough for a family of six to their daily subsistence,” Simbajon added
He said that, “(I)f this situation will go further and the victims remain victims, they will be the ones calling for Aquino’s ouster.”
Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte and former Mutya ng Dabaw winner Fila Guia Hidalgo were among the personalities who joined the city’s event for the One Billion Rising for Justice Campaign on Valentine’s Day February 14.
Police also drove away reporters and injured a photojournalist, Barry Ohaylan of Pinoy Weekly & Kilab Multimedia, who was bleeding in the head after being hit by a police officer.
“Nakakatulong ang armas sa atin sa gera noon pang Martial Law, pero ang palaging paggamit ng armas nakakasira din. (Arms helped us in the war during Martial Law. But the frequent use of arms will be destructive as well). I’ve been fighting for forty years; I see more destruction in arms.”
