For survival, rebels attacking innocents: military
The 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army has branded the recent attacks of the New People’s Army in Iloilo and Antique as desperate acts.
Maj. Gen Vicente Porto, commander of the 3rd ID, said in a statement that “attacking innocent civilians is an approach that is done only by desperate men who turn to lying, thievery, and more desperate criminal acts for survival.”
“We will continue putting pressure on them until they reach the breaking point. With the aid of our partners in development we will make these NPA irrelevant,” Porto said.
Porto assured the public that government troops will protect them from all forms of criminality and sabotage.
3rd ID spokesman 1st Lt. Mark Andrew Posadas also scored the NPA for attacking innocent civilians to terrorize them into submission.
“Harming and murdering civilians must now be a standard policy of the Napoleon Tumagtang Command and not merely by circumstance,” he said.
Last Thursday, soldiers from Charlie Company of the 82nd Infantry Battalion led by 1st Lt. Pete Malaluan were fired upon by members of the NPA’s Napoleon Tumagtang Command while occupying a temporary patrol base in Brgy Bagacay, Igbaras, Iloilo.
No one among the soldiers was hurt.
However, a woman living nearby was badly injured as one of the rebels’ bullets hit her on the thigh.
Juanita Espinosa Sabijon, 40, of Brgy. Passi Proper, was given first aid by
soldiers and her neighbors before she was brought to Guimbal District Hospital at around 3 a.m.
Her house is situated about 50 meters from the boundary of Bagacay and Passi and she was hit while asleep, with her family inside their house.
The shots were fired from higher ground and were directed towards the health center where some of the soldiers were resting, Posadas said.
The initial enemy fire lasted merely for three seconds and about 15 rounds were fired at the soliders as shown in the bullet holes found on the roof of the health center.
“Our soldiers immediately occupied their defensive battle positions and observed the enemy. Small firearms were used by the enemy given the close range and the size of the bullet holes found in the damaged roof,” Posadas said.
Malaluan then instructed his men to reposition their MG-60 heavy machine-gun towards the enemy and fired six rounds.
The NPA responded with five rounds. Ceasefire was declared after two minutes and troops charged the enemy position where they recovered 32 pieces of 5.56mm and five pieces of 7.62mm shells.
Lt. Col. George Joel Lalaquil, 82nd IB commander, said he believes the recent harassments in San Remigio, Antique and Igbaras, Iloilo were meant to distract the Bravo Company that is currently conducting pursuit operations against the perpetrators of the delivery van hijacking and burning in Leon, Iloilo last Monday led by a certain “Jam.”
“These harassments indicate that we are closing in on the group of “Jam” and these attacks are designed to ease and divert the pressure of our pursuit operations,” Lalaquil said.
Posadas said the 3rd ID condemned the indiscriminate and wanton attack by the NPA against the civilian residents of both Bagacay and Passi villages in Igbaras.
“Our troops in these communities were performing civil military operations, specifically preparing the community for the Army’s Literacy Program wherein we teach indigents how to read, write, and comprehend as a way of uplifting their lives and their communities,” he added.
Posadas said this only shows that the Napoleon Tumagtang Command does not discriminate between combatants and non-combatants.
“The Napoleon Tumagtang Command excels in terrorism as evidenced by their most recent attack on sleeping residents of barangays Bagacay and Passi,” he said. “They are the true oppressors of the masses.” MGC/JPR
