"4 Agusan cops, civilian hurt in NPA attack" - 22 October 2010 (Friday)

4 Agusan cops, civilian hurt in NPA attack

By Cecille Suerte Felipe

The Philippine Star

Friday, October 22, 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Four policemen and a civilian were wounded in an ambush staged by 30 suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Agusan del Sur the other day.

Reports reaching Camp Crame identified those wounded as Chief Inspector Apollo Abao, SPO2 Mellardo Lumain, PO3 Leo Rhoderick Urbiztondo, PO2 Marcial Corvera, and Rosalie Rufon, a barangay secretary.

Police said the police officers were on their way back to their headquarters after providing security during the distribution of land titles in Barangay Mabuhay, Prosperidad town when they were attacked.

The lawmen shot it out with the suspected rebels for about 10 minutes but they were overpowered.

Reds on rampage; 5 killed

by Gemi Formaran & Alfred Dalizon

People’s Journal – www.journal.com.ph

Friday, October 22, 2010

A NEW People’s Army rebel was killed in Sorsogon while four policemen were killed in an NPA ambush in Prosperidad, Agusan del Sur Wednesday.

In Sorsogon, the unidentified NPA rebel was killed while his two comrades were wounded in a five-minute firefight with Army troops in Barangay Sta. Rosa, Barcelona.

Col. Generoso Bolina, spokesman of the Southern Luzon Command, said the unidentified fatality was still clutching a Baby Armalite rifle when retrieved by troopers. His two wounded companions escaped.

Lt. Col. Santiago Enginco, commander of the Army's 49th Infantry Battalion in Sorsogon, said he dispatched a squad of troops led by 1Lt. Sandro Sereno after receiving a text message from a villager that the rebels were campaigning for their favored candidates.

As the troops approached, the rebels opened fire, prompting them to retaliate, hitting the three rebels and Emmanuel Enanu, 10, who sustained minor injuries. He was treated by Army medics.

The troops recovered a Baby Armalite rifle, a .45 pistol, a hand grenade, a rifle grenade, two cellphones, a laptop computer, a backpack and two bags, containing subversive documents and personal belongings. The area is reportedly an election hotspot.

Solcom chief Lt. Gen. Roland M. Detabali directed the troops to further intensify their campaign against the rebels’ asking campaign fees from candidates.

In Agusan del Sur, officers led by Chief Insp. Apollo Abao, chief of the Prosperidad Municipal Police Station, were on their way back to their headquart ers when they came under heavy fire from some 30 NPA guerrillas hiding in the bushes in Barangay Mabuhay.

Abao, SPO2 Mellardo Lumain, PO3 Leo Rhoderick Urbiztundo and PO2 Marcial Covera, were taken to a local hospital.

The policemen were attacked shortly after they helped secure the distribution of land titles to local farmers, Police Regional Office 13 director Chief Supt. Reynaldo Rafal.

"2 policemen killed in Masbate ambush" and related story - 19 October 2010 (Tuesday)

2 policemen killed in Masbate ambush

By Alexis Romero and Celso Amo

The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

MANILA, Philippines - Two policemen were killed yesterday in an ambush by unidentified armed men in an election hotspot in Masbate, the military said.

Reports reaching the Army’s 9th Infantry Division showed that the two victims were on board a motorcycle when they were waylaid by about five men in Malamag village at around 7 a.m.

Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the 9th ID, said killed were PO3 Nonilon Agbones and SPO1 Nilo Abejuela, both members of the Pio Corpuz town police force. 

“The two policemen were reporting for duty when they were waylaid by heavily-armed men. The bullet-riddled bodies of the victims were immediately brought to the local police station for autopsy,” Cabunoc said in a statement.

Authorities recovered spent casings for M16 and M14 rifles in the crime scene.

The identities of those behind the ambush are still being determined. Authorities, however, are not discounting the possibility that the ambush may have been perpetrated by communist rebels.

“The crime scene is a traditional NPA (New People’s Army) ambush site. One of our town police chiefs perished in that area when he was ambushed by NPA rebels sometime in 2003,” said Senior Superintendent Thomas Seminiano, Masbate provincial director, in a statement issued by 9th ID. 

“The perpetrators seemed to have stayed for a while to spot for the victims as indicated by the food traces in their position,” he added.

Cabunoc said a platoon of soldiers has been sent to help the Masbate police run after those behind the ambush. A platoon consists of about 10 soldiers.

Masbate has been a consistent poll hotspot due to the strong presence of NPA and partisan armed groups in the area.

A total of 69 villages in Masbate have been declared as “category 1” hotspots or those with intense political rivalries. On the other hand, 103 villages have been labeled as “category 2” hotspots or areas with strong NPA presence.

The military had warned that the insurgents may conduct extortion activities during the campaign period leading to the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.

The Bicol region, where Masbate is located, is one of the areas with huge concentration of rebel troops. Other areas believed to be NPA strongholds are Samar, Negros and the Davao region.

2 Cops Ambushed by NPA in Lucena

By Danny Estacio

Manila Bulletin – www.mb.com.ph

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Lucena City, Philippines (CAMP NAKAR) - Military reported that two policemen were ambushed by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in barangay Malamag, Pio V Corpus, Masbate Monday morning.

Reports reaching the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) here identified the victims as PO3 Nonilon Agbones and SPO1 Nilo Abejuela. Both members were assigned at the Pio V Corpus police station,

Reports added that at around 7:00 a.m, the two victims were on their way towards the police station to report for work on board a motorcycle.

The five rebels positioned themselves at the said place and fired at the lawmen with M16 and M14 rifles and fled on foot.

Combined army and police forces are conducting a hot pursuit operation against the fleeing NPA rebels.

"NPA rebel arrested on way to hospital" and other stories - September 29 - October 5, 2010

NPA rebel arrested on way to hospital

By Al Jacinto

The Manila Times – www.manilatimes.net

Wednesday, 29 September 2010

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Philippine communist rebels condemned government forces for arresting a sick member of the New People’s Army (NPA) who was rushed to hospital for emergency care in Mindanao. The rebel, Eliseo Tada, was on his way to hospital for emergency care when troops arrested him and later paraded to the public in Malita town in Davao del Sur province, said Dencio Madrigal, a spokesman for the NPA’s Valentin Palamine Regional Operations Command.

He said Tada was so sick that he needed emergency medical care to save his life, but troops who arrested the rebel interrogated him instead.

“Eliseo [Ka Bimbo] Tada is a very sick man who has been ill for some time and had to have immediate medical treatment in a hospital.

NPA medics who attended to him decided he should have a more specialized and extensive treatment, which at that particular time, could not be provided by the guerilla front.”

“For this reason, the comrades decided to brave the odds and bring him to the nearest medical facility in order to save his life.

Unfortunately, he was accosted by enemy patrols along the way, interrogated and brought to 39th Infantry Battalion headquarters in Davao del Sur. During the interrogation he must have been physically and psychologically forced to admit to certain activities of which he had no knowledge about,” Madrigal said.

He said the military accused Tada of participating in a string of attacks against government soldiers in Sarangani province. He said Tada was very sick and has been under the care of NPA medics and could not be involved in any attacks against military forces.

6 troops wounded in clash with leftist rebels in Misamis Occidental

www.philstar.com

Friday, October 01, 2010

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - Six government troops were wounded in a clash with leftist rebels in the southern Philippines today, the military said.

The soldiers were conducting security patrol in a village in Don Victoriano Chiongbian town, in Mindanao's Misamis Occidental province when they chanced upon several gunmen believed to be New People's Army rebels triggering one-hour clash, according to Major Arnold Gasalatan, spokesperson of the army's 1st Infantry Division.

Gasalatan said by phone the victims suffered shrapnel wounds and had to be flown by helicopter to a military hospital.

The 4,000-strong NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines is fighting a 41-year leftist insurgency in 60 of the country's 79 provinces.

NPA rebels harass troops in Davao City

By Al Jacinto

The Manila Times – www.manilatimes.net

Sunday, 03 October 2010

ZAMBOANGA CITY: Communist rebels harassed government troops engaged in humanitarian works in Davao City in the southern Philippines, officials said Saturday. Officials said the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels opened fire on soldiers while they were resting in the village of Fatima in Paquibato district. The attack on Thursday lasted more than 15 minutes, said Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.

“There were no military or civilian casualties,” he said.

He said the troops deployed in Paquibato district, a known lair of communist rebels, were working on peace and development out-reach program.

“These soldiers are involved mainly in the conduct of dialogues with the people and in the planning and implementation of humanitarian assistance programs that will benefit the people,” Aguilar said.

Maj. Gen. Jorge Segovia, commander of the 10th Infantry Division, said the harassment would not affect peace and development projects in the area.

“The harassments are aimed to divert our attention away from implementing community projects, but they will fail. If they continue with their harassments and other violent activities, our soldiers will be there to protect the people,” Segovia said.

PNP to put up human rights’ desk on all its stations

By Mario J. Mallari

The Daily Tribune – www.tribune.net

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

As part of its commitment to promote human rights, the Philippine National Police (PNP) leadership is planning to put up human rights’ desks in all of its stations nationwide.

PNP Chief Director General Raul Bacalzo yesterday said he wanted to establish measures to block all possible situations that may lead to human rights violations in the course of regular police operations.

As part of his advocacy, Bacalzo has identified protection of human rights as among his Eight Foundation Initiatives and Operational Initiatives upon his assumption to post as the 15th chief of the PNP.

“As an officer of the law, I believe that policing must be anchored on the basic tenets of human rights,” Bacalzo said.

The chief PNP said among the action programs under the human rights initiative is the continuous review of the Police Operational Procedures (POP) and putting-up Human Rights Help Desks (HRHDs) in all police stations.

Bacalzo’s move came following published reports showing that 90 percent of police operations are tainted with human rights violation.

It was recalled that several PNP officers were tagged in a torture case in Manila against a suspected robber last July. A video of the alleged torture activity was shown by television networks showing a naked man being tortured which drew an uproar from various human rights advocates.