Army: NPAs are illegal loggers, too
From banditry to environment destruction, the New People’s Army (NPA) are into it.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division supported this accusation after they allegedly recovered 6,000 board feet of illegal cut narra lumber, which was allegedly guarded by NPA rebels at Sitio Marandan, Brgy. Mali-ao, Tapaz town in Capiz.
But the recovery has without no firefight.
According to 3ID public information officer 1Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas, the Army soldiers, mostly soldier trainees led by Captain Adolfo V Delizo of 3ID Division Training Unit, were on a long-range reconnaissance patrol within the 33,100 hectare military and forest reservation when they chanced armed men just fired upon them.
Sitio Marandan is located in the tri-boundary of Jamindan, Tapaz, both in Capiz, and Libacao in Aklan.
“When they were clearing the area, they discovered the cut lumber. That’s why, we have a strong belief that they were involved in illegal logging activities,” Posadas added.
After the firefight, the soldiers scoured the area and recovered the cadaver of a still unidentified person along with a 12 gauge shotgun (M16 Model), six live rounds of ammunitions, two empty shotgun shells, and a stack of hewn lumber in a pile.
Posadas confirmed that the slain person is not a rebel but part of the group of illegal loggers under the command of the NPAs.
“His companions are rebels. We have strong belief that he is involved in the illegal logging activities. Fact is, he was yielded with a gun when the incident happened,” the 3ID spokesman said.
After the encounter, Army soldiers immediately conducted pursuit operations on the fleeing suspects.
They are believed to be under the leadership of Francisco Balois a.k.a. Tonying of the NPAs Central Front Committee.
According to Tapaz PNP chief Insp. Jojo Tabaloc, they have been receiving reports of the NPA’s presence in the area.
“Maybe, they need funds. That’s why we are intensifying our surveillance operations, particularly on the extortion activities of the rebels against political candidates,” he added.
Meanwhile, during the clearing operations, Posadas said that soldiers found the narra lumber stacked in a loose pile awaiting transport.
“It’s value is estimated at P480,000,” he added.
It can be recalled that allegations of drug trafficking and Marijuana cultivation came about after the discovery of live and dried marijuana plants in the NPA’s training camp in Brgy. Tigbanaba, Igbaras, Iloilo last year.
“Last year, we discovered that the NPA in Southern Panay is involved with the drug trade by cultivating and distributing Marijuana in their camp,” said 3ID commander Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto. “Nowadays, we find out that the NPA’s Central Front in Panay is also actively engaged in illegal logging activities as evidenced by the recovered lumber in Tapaz. It seems that lately their actions succeed in establishing the NPA’s true nature as criminals and thieves.”
On the other hand, newly-promoted B/Gen. Gerardo T Layug of the 301st Infantry Brigade said, “it was fortunate, Porto added, that through the Army’s relentless patrols and commitment to ensuring the peace and order in Panay that we were able to chance upon the NPA’s illegal activities.”
As this developed, in anticipation of the NPA’s 41st founding anniversary on March 29, the 3ID hierarchy said that it would remain vigilant by conducting relentless internal security operations in Western Visayas.
