Landmines Condemned

From the Manila Bulletin (Oct 30): Landmines Condemned 

The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) has condemned the use of landmines by the New People’s Army (NPA). “Together with civil society groups, the clergy and local officials, we strongly condemn the NPA’s continuous use of landmines,” said 3ID commander, Major General Jose Mabanta Jr. after Private First Class John Durana of the 82nd Infantry Battalion (82IB) was killed during a clash with an undetermined number of NPA rebels in the mountain village of Bucari in Leon, Iloilo last October 27. The platoon led by 1st Lieutenant Camlon Ramones of 82IB’s Bravo Company was in the area for a peace and security operation when they encountered the NPA. Troops later recovered an improvised explosive device (IED), an M14 rifle magazine with five rounds of ammunition, 21 empty shells from an M14 rifle, and 32 empty shells from an M16 rifle. Meanwhile, Mabanta urged the NPA to follow the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). “For the sake of peace let us refrain from using these banned weapons,” Mabanta said even as he urged the NPA to follow the “open- mindedness” of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade (RPA- ABB) Tabara wing in Negros and Panay islands.

 http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/379324/landmines-condemned