DAVAO CITY The armed forces last week described as hogwash the claim early this month by the communist New Peoples Army that it is winning over the residents of Paquibato District, a hinterland part of the city where soldiers and rebels often clash.
The New Peoples Armys claims of winning in Paquibato area is pure hogwash, not worth even a small attention, Major Jose Marie R. Cuerpo II, the commander of the militarys 5th Civil Relations Group in the region said.
Parago, the NPA commander whose rebels operate in Paquibato, is desperately trying to cover up his terroristic activities and defeats by coming out with different propaganda lines through their legal fronts operating in the city, Cuerpo said.
Cuerpo said that despite the criminal and terroristic activities of the NPA, the people of Paquibato bonded together and helped the government troops seize a huge camp and killed at least 10 NPAs during the recent surprise attack done by Philippines Army troops in the said area.
Cuerpo was referring to the April 6 encounter in Tapak village. But Parago, in a statement released to the media on April 8, said the military was lying when it claimed to have killed 10 NPA members.
Contrary to the arrogant posturing and lies being spread by the fascist armed forces related to Thursday’s Paquibato encounter, it is the 5th Scout Rangers Company that suffered casualties against the New People’s Army (NPA). Two Scout Rangers were killed and two others were injured during the said encounter, said Parago, who heads the 1st Pulang Bagani Company of the NPAs Merardo Arce Command.
The Scout Rangers were skillfully out-maneuvered by the Red fighters in the battlefield. The same so-called elite group grew desperate and immediately called for reinforcement from the 73rd Infantry Battalion, which sent in MG520 attack helicopters that indiscriminately bombed the mountainous terrain, Parago said.
He accused the military and the Task Force Davao, under Col. Eduardo del Rosario, of showing utter lack of respect for the civilian populace in Paquibato District. The military has no other intention in Paquibato but to commit grave and serious violations of human rights, killing Lumads and non-Lumads in subservience to capitalist interests.
The massive troop deployment in the areas of Davao City and in Davao del Norte, including the newly deployed Scout Rangers Battalion stationed at Camp Panacan and last year’s deployment of the 401st Brigade stationed in Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte, is paving the way for the smooth entry of capitalist plunderers who are too eager to exploit the rich resources in the hinterlands of Davao and nearby provinces.
Meanwhile, the Task Force Davao, in collaboration with Globe Telecom and ABS-CBN Bayan, conducted a two-day livelihood training for in Lumads at the Green Heights Business and Convention Center in Davao City last April 18, 2006.
Discussed during the activity were strategies on basic farming and vegetable production as well as hands-on training on food processing and alternative medicine.
The project was launched to realize the elusive dream of the tribal community which is peace and development, del Rosario said in a statement.
Around 70 representatives from the Ata-Matigsalog-Ubo-Manobo tribes benefited from the training.
Datu Joel Unad, chairman of the Supreme Tribal Council Chairman for Peace and Development, commended del Rosario and other agencies that sponsored the seminar.
In related news, the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines celebrated its 33rd founding anniversary today, April 24.
In a statement, Rub del Mundo, the NDFs spokesperson for Southern Mindanao, said the NDF, through the years, has remained firm with its principles in uniting the broadest number of revolutionary forces in the fight against US imperialism, bureaucrat capitalism and feudalism. It has organized and consolidated the workers, peasants, Lumads, Moro people and the national bourgeoisie to achieve a nation free from foreign and local domination, a nation with genuine freedom and democracy.
Del Mundo critized the government for what the NDF called a long record of crimes and exploitation through its repressive political and economic policies.
Presidet Arroyos avaricious schemes, together with her bagman First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, in the gold-rich Mt. Diwata ranges in Compostela Valley province, have unleashed the fangs of militarization on civilians in the communities. She is bent on removing the foothold of small scale miners in Diwalwal to offer its resources to transnational mining firms.
Thousands of farmers, del Mundo said, suffer from landlessness and accumulated debts as Arroyo backs growership schemes for continuing expansion of banana plantations in the Davao region.
The NDF said that, on its founding anniversary, its allied organizations, together with the Filipino people and the revolutionary movement, commits to strengthening itself and forge greater unity with the Filipino people to crush the US-Arroyo regime and until they achieve a truly democratic and just government. (davaotoday.com)
Paquibato
