NPA’s Sanchez said five troops were wounded in the ambush that was aimed at “deterring troops” who were on their way to the tactical command post in Alang-alang detachment. He noted that it is where the military “mounted two batteries of 105 howitzers that conducted shelling operations towards the village of Cabilao.”
By ALEX D. LOPEZ
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The New People’s Army (NPA) ambushed troops of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in two separate incidents.
In a statement, Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson for NPA’s Merardo Arce Command Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command, said Red fighters from the Magtanggol Roque Command ambushed elements of the 57th Infantry Battalion aboard a Km 40 vehicle on January 25 evening in Sitio Alang-alang, Kisante village in Makilala town, Cotabato province.
Lt. Nasrullah Sema, 57th IB commander, reportedly said the attack caused injuries to five of his men. “This is part of their retaliation because we killed four of them in recent operation,” Sema said in a news report.
NPA’s Sanchez said five troops were wounded in the ambush that was aimed at “deterring troops” who were on their way to the tactical command post in Alang-alang detachment. He noted that it is where the military “mounted two batteries of 105 howitzers that conducted shelling operations towards the village of Cabilao.”
A child was allegedly hit on his ear by the bullets from the government troops.
The NPA spokesman said that they used a “command-detonated explosive” against elements of the 57th IB which he said “served as goons of the Energy Development Company (EDC)” and to the “Dole Philippines Banana Plantation.”
EDC operates the geothermal plants in Mt. Apo.
The 57th IB, according to Sanchez, has been operating in the area since December 25, when the temporary ceasefire between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the Aquino government was supposedly ongoing.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, NPA’s Wilfredo Zapanta Command ambushed elements of the 28th IB on January 22 early morning in Sitio Mainit, Calapagan village, Lupon town in Davao Oriental.
Sanchez said four government troops were killed on the said operation while 14 were wounded.
However, Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson for the AFP’s 10th ID, said only one soldier was killed while 10 were wounded.
In an emailed statement, Paniza identified the “lone fatality” as Private First Class Jhasam Diaz who, he said, “died while being treated in the hospital.”
He condemned the attack by saying that the troops belonged to the security group securing soldiers who were rendering rehabilitations to the areas affected by typhoon Pablo.
But Sanchez said the 28th IB is “a notorious human rights violator in Davao Oriental,” which started their operations over a week ago. He said they will intensify their “counter-offensive operations” against the said military unit.
AFP’s Paniza also criticized the NPA for using landmines which, he said, is a violation of the international humanitarian law.
“The NPA violates no laws and international instruments as it continues to use command-detonated explosives in its guerilla warfare,” NPA’s Sanchez said. He noted that they don’t employ “stealth as it launches tactical offensive against legitimate targets, at the same time, abides war protocols and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.” (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
