11 soldiers killed in Mindoro battle with NPA
By Maricar P. Cinco, AFP
Philippine Daily Inquirer – www.inquirer.net
Sunday, March 7, 2010
SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA—At least 11 soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by gunmen suspected to be New People’s Army rebels in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, on Saturday morning, according to military officials.
It was the Army’s biggest loss in a single encounter with communist rebels this year.
The soldiers were on patrol when they ran into a fortified camp of the NPA, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Romeo Brawner said.
A three-hour gun battle ensued with “undetermined casualties” on the side of the rebels, he said.
“The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet,” Brawner said.
Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson for the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said the ambush was staged by about 60 NPA guerrillas.
More soldiers backed by helicopter gunships had been dispatched to track down the NPA insurgents, he said.
The soldiers were patrolling the area as part of security measures to ensure that candidates in the May elections would be able to campaign safely, said Brawner.
The NPA have been demanding payment from candidates in exchange for “permit to campaign” cards. Those who refuse to pay are attacked and sometimes killed.
Military identifies 11 soldiers killed in clash with rebels
By Maricar Cinco
www.inquirer.net
Sunday, March 7, 2010
CAMP VICENTE LIM, Laguna — Two officials of the Philippine Army were among the 11 soldiers killed in the three-hour gun battle with the New People’s Army (NPA) in Mindoro Oriental, an official said Sunday.
The Philippine Army named the casualties as 1st Lieutenant Ronnie Sipsip, Corporal Francisco Pialogo and Private First Class Mark Erasmus Balut, Romy dela Cruz, Tedjay Perez, Rizaldy Maglinao, Jeffrey Fajardo, Immer Aragon, Alan Comon, Randnier Caraan and Vergel Depositario.
Wounded in the clash were Pfcs. Victor Embiado, Anthony Arguelles, Guerero dela Cruz, Jimbo Espargoza, Harvey Anos and Ador Sindol, and Private Bruce Harold Pawang.
In a phone interview, Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson for the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said the remains of the soldiers were airlifted from Mindoro Island to Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City.
Three of the wounded were brought to the V. Luna hospital in Quezon City while others are recuperating in a hospital in Mindoro Oriental.
On Saturday morning, members of the 23rd Division Reconnaissance Company of the Philippine Army led by Sipsip chanced upon an encampment of the NPA in Barangay Panaytayan, Mansalay, resulting in a gunfight between the government troops and around 60 rebels, as reported by Inquirer.net immediately after the incident.
The soldiers were patrolling the area as part of security measures to ensure that candidates in the May elections would be able to campaign safely.
Detoyato said the NPA’s collection of permit-to-campaign and permit-to-win fees from local candidates thrived in Mindoro Oriental although the island was identified only as a “second priority” of the Army to provinces closer to the metropolis.
The government dispatched two more platoons and a company of soldiers Sunday as reinforcements to the continued pursuit operations.
‘Blunder’ eyed in clash that killed 11 soldiers
By Victor Reyes
Malaya – www.malaya.com.ph
Monday, March 08, 2010
THE military is determining whether there was a "tactical blunder" in operations involving a clash with the New People’s Army in Oriental Mindoro last Saturday.
The clash left 11 Scout Rangers dead and seven others injured. It was the military’s largest casualty count in a single encounter in recent years.
On Sunday in Cadiz City, an Army officer and five NPA rebels died in a clash in a remote village.
Two platoons from the 62nd Infantry Battalion were on a patrol in Sitio Aluyan, Barangay Caduhaan around 10 a.m. when they caught up with an undetermined number of rebels.
An Amy lieutenant was killed.
Troops recovered five enemy bodies, an M14, an M16, and an M653 rifle.
Lt. Gen. Roland Detabali, commander of the Lucena City-based AFP Southern Luzon Command, said the investigation into the Saturday clash is being spearheaded by the Solcom in coordination with the Army.
"We will be conducting investigation if there was possible tactical blunder in the operation. It (operation) might have not been also well-supervised," he said.
Reports said the NPA band and the soldiers found themselves facing each other just three meters apart. Other reports said the troops were ambushed as they were conducting clearing operations at an NPA camp.
Among the dead in the three-hour gunfight was 2Lt. Ronie Sipsip, the platoon leader.
The clashed occurred 5:20 a.m. Saturday in the village of Panaytayan in Mansalay town while a platoon from the Army’s 23rd Division Reconnaissance Company was on security patrol.
Detabali said troops conducting searches should be moving at nighttime.
He said troops should move during daytime only if there is a direct order or if there is proper "cover."
"If you can be seen, why will you move?" he asked.
Detabali also said it was standard procedure to have the incident investigated because of the heavy casualties.
"That’s an SOP (standard operating procedure) of the Army if you lost more than six people and six firearms…We lost more than five people, so we have to investigate," he said.
The troops lost 10 M16 rifles, two M203 grenade launchers, an M60 machinegun and three handheld radios.
Detabali said the investigation would include the company commander – one 1Lt Toriado -- and battalion commander Lt. Col. Randy Sinocruz of the 4th Infantry Battalion, to determine who ordered the troops to mount the operation.
"We will also determine if there was violation (in the conduct of the operation) or it was plainly that the enemy was on the advantage," he said.
Detabali said about a thousand of troops are pursuing the rebels, including members of the 21st Division Reconnaissance Company who arrived in Oriental Mindoro on Saturday night from Quezon.
He said the other troops involved in the pursuit operation are the 4th and the 80th Infantry Battalions.
"Basically, we are talking of about 1,000 people…It now has become a brigade operations," he said.
Detabali said there used to be three battalions in Oriental Mindoro – the 4th, 80th and 68th IBs.
The 68th IB was pulled out in 2008 and deployed to Central Mindanao against rogue secessionist rebels.
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