1 dead, 3 hurt as NPA rebels launch simultaneous attacks in Bukidnon

From InterAksyon (Feb 19): 1 dead, 3 hurt as NPA rebels launch simultaneous attacks in Bukidnon

CAMP PHILIPS, BUKIDNON - Around 150 fighters of the Communist Party of the Philippines' New People's Army (NPA) launched a series of raids here at about 6 p.m. Tuesday, catching the security guards of Del Monte Philippines off-guard and leaving one dead and three others injured.

Resident physician Larson Taruq of the Camp Phillips Memorial Hospital identified the fatality as Alfredo Neri, who succumbed to two gunshot wounds on his upper right torso. Taruq said Neri was the guard on duty at the gate when the guerrillas entered the camp.

Seriously injured, Taruq said, were Franklin Millanes (two gunshot wounds on his shoulder blades), Jofol Jumawan (gunshot wound on the right thigh) and a civilian bystander Mario Ayuban (gunshot wound on the left thigh). Neri, Millanes and Jumawan, Taruq said, worked for Kadre Security Forces and General Services - a private security agency contracted by Del Monte Philippines.

“As soon as Millanes, Jumawan and Ayuban were stable, we transferred them to CUMC (Capitol University Medical Center),” Taruq added.

Jorge Madlos, spokesman of the National Democratic Front in Mindanao, confirmed over a local radio station that the NPA carried out the raid on Camp Philips as he blamed Del Monte for the deforestation that contributed to the deadly flashflood that struck Cagayan de Oro City during storm “Sendong” in December 2011.

Lieutenant Colonel Eugenio Osias, spokesman of the Army's 4th Infantry Division, said the rebels arrived in two trucks at the facility of Del Monte at Camp Philips in Manolo Fortich town at around 6 p.m.

The Maoist rebels simultaneously attacked at least three sites here. The rebels burned Del Monte's fertilizer warehouse and logistics office at Vista Villa, Sumilao, Bukidnon; an office of Dole Philippines in La Fortuna, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon and burned three trucks inside a motor pool garage in front of a Caltex gas station in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Another report said about 20 rebels took the cellphones and valuables of the employees of Dole after setting up a checkpoint in Impasug-ong.

Senior Police Officer 2 Jayson Sabac of the 1st Platoon of the Bukidnon Provincial Public Safety Company said their unit responded to a report of a “supposed armed robbery” at a Caltex station, in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon at about 6:20 p.m. Tuesday.

“As we were nearing the gasoline station, we saw what appeared to be a checkpoint and we thought it was manned by other government troops, like the army. Our commander shouted to ask what unit they belonged. When one of the group at the checkpoint answered back 'NPA,' we immediately engaged them in a firefight,” said Sabac, adding that they were at least “20 to 50 meters from the rebels and the firefight lasted around 20 minutes.”

He added that while they were engaged in the firefight, he could hear the heavy equipment inside a motor pool garage in front of the Caltex gas station and that there were some explosions.

Sabac said they were the first to respond because their detachment was in Barangay Alae, Cagayan de Oro City which was only “about 10 to 11 kilometers away from the gas station.”

In a text message Tuesday evening, Bukidnon Governor Alex Calingasan said that three officers of the Manolo Fortich Municipal Police Station while en route to La Fortuna on board their patrol car was blocked by another group of rebels on Atugan Bridge, Malaybalay City.

“Police Supt. Jumalon, PO1 Mandar, PO2 Neri led by Police Insp. Galagala were en route to respond to the incident in Camp Phillips where the main target of the armed group was launched when they were blocked by the rebels at the Atugan Bridge. Taken from the police officers were an M14 rifle, a 9mm pistol, M16 rifle and a .45 caliber pistol,” Calingasan's text message read.

A Kadre security guard—who requested anonymity since he was not authorized to speak on the matter—opined that the communist rebels “may have confiscated two M16 rifles, four .38 caliber pistols, six VHF hand-held radios and two cellphones when they assaulted the Office of the Chief Security of Del Monte and a shotgun from the guard at the motor pool garage in front of the Caltex gas station.”

“The NPAs burned one canter truck, one grader, two motorcycles and one boom sprayer truck inside the motor pool garage,” the Kadre security guard said.

In an interview Wednesday dawn, Captain Christian Uy, Executive Officer of the 4th Civil Military Operations Battalion based in Camp Edilberto Evangelista, Barangay Patag, Cagayan de Oro City, said the “403rd Infantry Brigade, based in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon have been deployed for pursuit operations.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/55431/1-dead-3-hurt-as-npa-rebels-launch-simultaneous-attacks-in-bukidnon