DAVAO CITY – The New People’s Army have killed a personnel of the national police, three members of the armed forces and wounded several others during its attacks in Davao Oriental province on Friday.
In a statement, Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Command, said a joint tactical command under the NPA’s 3rd Pulang Bagani Company, Front 15 Operations Command and 8th Pulang Bagani Company launched two separate ambuscades in Davao Oriental.
The 3rd PBC and the Front 15 Operations Command attacked the 3rd Platoon Public Safety Company of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Patrol Base in Barangay Bangol, Taragona town which occurred between 4 am and 7 am.
Sanchez said “one PNP element was killed and five others were wounded.”
He claimed the NPA seized “two M203 rifles, three M16 firearms, two M14 firearms, four pieces of 9mm handgun and several military packs.”
“The attack was directed against the abusive PNP detachment which served as protector of and collector of largesse for the corrupt Gov. (Corazon) Malanyaon from a nearby developing gold rush area,” Sanchez said.
A separate ambush happened at 8 am in Barangay Kasunugan, Baganga town Davao Oriental when the NPA’s 8th PBC ambushed “a 14-man PDOP (peace and development outreach program)” squad of the 67th IB.
“Three fascist soldiers were killed, one was wounded,” said Sanchez adding the NPAs seized “one colt M16 rifle, one pack bag, and two cellphones.”
“The NPA attacks are conspicuous actions that further debunk the military and Gov. Malanyaon’s claim that Davao Oriental has already rid of the NPA,” Sanchez said.
He said the NPA offensives also “give justice to victims of Typhoon Pablo who suffered gravely from militarization, gross negligence and denial of typhoon assistance funds by Malanyaon’s camp.”
Sanchez said their tactical offensives were “justified”.
“The experience of 30 families from Sitio Patong, Barangay Kasunugan, Baganga is a blatant example of such repression (by the military),” Sanchez said.
“They were dislocated from their farms since last year and were threatened when they attempted to return to their farms. The military destroyed their rice and corn farms by defecating on the precious crops and throwing away their seedlings,” he said.
Sanchez said some of the community leaders were “forced to wear military uniforms to scare other residents.” (davaotoday.com)
