“The action was part of the continuing punitive measure being carried out by the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Company against the 10th Infantry Division-Armed Forces of the Philippines to counter its atrocious methods of terrorizing the peasant and Lumad masses in Paquibato District, Davao City” — Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA’s Merardo Arce Command
By ALEX D. LOPEZ
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The New People’s Army (NPA) here claimed of wounding two Army regulars and six militiamen by their command-detonated explosive (CDX) on November 7 in Kilometer 24, Pamantawan, Malabog village.
In an emailed statement signed by Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA’s Merardo Arce Command, two elements of the 72nd Infantry Battalion and six members of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) were wounded when they were hit by the NPA’s CDX at around 2:20 PM last Wednesday.
“The action was part of the continuing punitive measure being carried out by the NPA’s 1st Pulang Bagani Company against the 10th Infantry Division-Armed Forces of the Philippines to counter its atrocious methods of terrorizing the peasant and Lumad masses in Paquibato District, Davao City,” Sanchez said.
However, Major Jake Obligado, commander of the 10th ID’s Civil Military Operations Battalion, denied the NPA’s claim.
“There were only two Cafgus who were slightly wounded due to landmine,” Obligado said in a text message to davaotoday.com.
Obligado accused the NPA of continuously defying what was agreed in the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Carhrihl) on banning the use of landmine.
The use of pressure or victim-detonated mines has been prohibited by the Ottawa Treaty or the Convention on the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction.
The Ottawa Treaty defines anti-personnel mines as “mines designed to be exploded by the present, proximity or contact of a person, and that will capacitate, injure or kill one or more persons.”
The NPA, in their previous statements, said the anti-personnel landmine is in contrast of what they use, the “command-detonated type of explosives, which has a switch and operated by a trained ordnance personnel who receives a command to detonate.”
Meanwhile, Sanchez said the wounded Cafgus were members of the Alamara and Blackfighter groups. He called the latter as “paramilitary lumad bandits exploiting and abusing the indigenous Manobos of Paquibato for its reign of terror and counterrevolutionary operations.”
He added, the group of Blackfighters is headed by a certain Nomer Ogaw, son of Cawsing Ogaw who was killed by the NPA last July for his alleged crimes against the people and the revolutionary movement.
Sanchez said that Ogaw is arming Lumad minors to join the Blackfighters.
“Under instructions from the 10th ID-AFP, Ogaw led in arming civilian Lumad minors in Barangay Salaysay, Marilog District. Ogaw is now heading the Operation Blackfighters, Baganis and Alamaras in Paquibato,” Sanchez said.
But Obligado said he “hadn’t heard” of the groups Alamara and Blackfighters.
“By using hapless, innocent Lumads as its rabid dogs and torturing civilians,” Sanchez said, “the 10th ID-AFP only perpetuates the very character of Oplan Bayanihan of the US-Aquino regime — that it is no better than the deadly Oplan Bantay Laya of the US-Arroyo regime.”
Sanchez said Aquino’s “Oplan Bayanihan has unleashed its fangs of fascism in the countryside leaving in its trail an increasing list of human rights abuses.” (Alex D. Lopez/davaotoday.com)
