NPA kills farmer in Samar
Manila Bulletin – www.balita.ph
Thursday, February 04, 2010
ORMOC CITY, Feb. 3 — New People's Army (NPA) rebels killed a farmer in Matuguinao municipality, Samar last Monday.
According to reports, Arman Diaz, resident of Brgy. Maduroto of the said town was shot dead by five unidentified members of NPA at his farm. The rebels used assorted high powered firearms.
The reports also said that Diaz died on the spot as he sustained gunshot wounds all over the body.
According to reports of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion, the victim was slain in front of his children and wife. It also said that Diaz' body was allegedly dragged and displayed at the center of the barangay plaza.
According to the residents, Diaz has no known enemy, quiet and hard-working.
Residents of Matuguinao, including the victim’s family, have asked human rights groups, especially the Katungod-Sinirangang Bisayas to investigate the killing.
The Matuguinao PNP is now conducting investigation to give justice to the victim. Lt. Col. Jose B Gongona, 34 IB head, ordered the pursuit against the perpetrators.
Major General Arthur I. Tabaquero, Commander 8ID, said, “this is a clear manifestation that the terrorist NPA are the number one violator of human rights. This is also the reason why the development in the province is at stake.” (PNA)
5 soldiers killed, 8 hurt in Abra landmine blast
By Ding Cervantes
The Philippine Star – www.philstar.com
Thursday, February 04, 2010
SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga , Philippines – Five Army soldiers were killed while eight others were wounded after their group tripped on a landmine reportedly set up by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Tubo, Abra last Monday night.
Maj. Rosendo Armas, Armed Forces’ Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) spokesman, confirmed this in a text message, although 1st Lt. Eduard Sia-ed, information officer of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade, confirmed only six wounded.
Nolcom though, in an earlier official statement, merely referred to “several casualties” in the incident.
Pressed for more details, Armas later sent The STAR a text message confirming that five Army soldiers were killed and eight others were wounded in the landmine explosion.
The Nolcom statement said the victims were all from the 501st Infantry Brigade. It did not name those killed but identified among those wounded as Sgt. Rodolfo Dombrique Jr., Pfcs. Frank Nawi, Felix Gac-oy, Antonio Allawi, Jaylord Robredo, and Glendon Guillermo, and Pvt. Jay-ar Laman.
The wounded were flown to the Abra Provincial Hospital in Bangued for treatment and eventually to the AFP Medical Center in Quezon City the following day, with the help of the Abra provincial government and Abra Rep. Cecilia Seares Luzon, Nolcom said.
The soldiers were conducting pursuit operations when one of them tripped on an improvised explosive device, which Nolcom identified as a landmine allegedly planted by fleeing NPA guerrillas in a mountainous area in Barangay Kili, Tubo town, a report from Sia-ed said.
“The use of landmines is clearly prohibited under International Humanitarian Law. The incident only confirms the terrorist character of the NPAs. Historically, the use of landmines has also been a practice of local terrorist groups to inflict heavy casualties against government troops, and sometimes (even against) Armed Forces’ supporters or politicians,” Nolcom said
Pursuit operations were led by the 503rd IB headed by Col. Essel Soriano but the NPA rebels were believed to have mixed with local residents.
An attempt of the NPA rebels to ambush soldiers from the 41st IB led to a firefight in Barangay Lat-ey in Malibcong, Abra at around 1 p.m. last Tuesday, but no casualties were reported on either side, Nolcom said.
Nolcom quoted Soriano as saying that military troops “will press on the campaign (against communist rebels) in pursuit of the AFP’s objective to reduce the NPAs to insignificant levels (and thus) secure the environment for effective governance by local chief executives.”
Gunmen burn school in Cotabato mine site
By Edwin Fernandez
Philippine Daily Inquirer – www.inquirer.net
Thursday, February 04, 2010
COTABATO CITY — Gunmen on Monday torched a four-room elementary school near a mining site in Tampakan, South Cotabato, authorities said Wednesday.
Police and military reports said the gunmen, numbering about 10, attacked the village of Danlag, Tampakan, at about 11 p.m. and set fire to the rooms at the Datal Biao Elementary School.
Lt. Col. Joshua Santiago, chief of the 27th Infantry Battalion, said the attack on the school building came weeks after a company of soldiers was deployed to the area.
“We are still investigating, the police is still investigating,” said Santiago. “The area is communist rebel-infested and we can only surmise.”
Police have yet to determine the cost of damage to the school building built by a mining company to support the education of indigenous children, Santiago said.
Santiago condemned the attack claiming the school has nothing to do with whatever ideology the attackers have been fighting for.
The school, built near the Sagittarius Mines Inc. mining site, was established several years ago to help in the education of indigenous peoples, especially the B’laan tribesmen’s children.
Barangay Danlag is home to copper and gold deposits with Sagittarius getting the green light from national government to explore in Tampakan despite opposition from tribal groups and the local church.
Since the mining site was established about two years ago, the foreign firm has been subjected to attacks and harassment by communist rebels, interested groups and even extortionists.
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