Gov't forces battle NPA during Good Friday, 2 killed

From the Manila Bulletin (Mar 29): Gov't forces battle NPA during Good Friday, 2 killed

  BUTUAN CITY – In an unprecedented incident during the observance of Good Friday, 2 members of the Special Cafgu Active Auxiliary (SCAA) force were killed while an undetermined number of devotees suffered scratches and bruises when an undetermined number of snipers, believed to be members of the communist-New People’s Army (NPA) harassed government forces early Friday.

The SCAA’s of the 3rd Special Forces Battallion (3rd SFB) were securing the more than 3,000 devotees on their way to a Station of the Cross in “Panaad (promise) 2013” at a mountainous area of Purok 4, Sitio Iyao, in Barangay Anticala, some 23 kilometers northeast of this region’s frontier and capital city when they were fired upon at around 5 o'clock early Friday morning, military and police forces said. Two SCAA's died from the incoming fire.

The slain SCAA's were identified as Ariel Andohoyan and Ernie Darafil, all of Barangay Anticala, this city.

After hitting the SCAA members, another series of gunshots from one corner of the mountain prompted the devotees to scatter in different directions in the mountain, they said.

The devotees were immediately secured by the 3rd AFB from the gunfire initiated by the NPA. Lt. Col. Potenciano C. Camba, commanding officer of the 3rd SFB ordered the deployment of more troops to hunt down the perpetrators, the military and police report said.

The command center and tactical force of the Army’s 402nd Infantry (Stingers) Brigade said the perpetrators in the “Panaad 2013” shooting were alleged members of guerilla-Front Committee 21-C of the CPP-NPA North Eastern Mindanao Committee (NEMRC).

“These NPA’s harassed the conduct of “Panaad 2013” where thousands of people attended including police and military personnel. They were in the 4th station of the cross when the NPA harassed them with gunfire at Purok Iyao,” said Lt. Joe Patrick A. Martinez, commanding officer of the 42nd Civil Military Operation Company.

“Two SCAAs died while protecting the civilians from the attack,” said Lt. Martinez.

“These lawless elements disrespected the solemnity of the station of the cross. They don’t know when to stop fighting,” said Rev. Fr. Joesilo Amalla, Parish priest, St Joseph Cathedral, Butuan City who led “Panaad”.

“Why do they attack us? They should submit themselves to our God and repent for their sins. I will pray for the soul of our soldiers who died while protecting us.” he added.

“This is not the time and place for fighting. We were there to observe the season of lent and to pray for peace. As we all know, today is the 44th Anniversary of NPA. They don’t believe in any religion and in God. For them, this is the high time to disrupt the activity of the church to serve as one of their greatest accomplishment in the history of their nonsense revolution. They cannot celebrate their anniversary without inflicting casualties,” Col. Camba said.

However, the faithful remained steadfast and continued to the different stations of the cross and finished each one despite the gunfire that was heard until the last station.

“These NPAs cannot stop us from praying because we know that God will always be there to protect us” said a mother of 3 children who attended the stations of the cross.

“They shall be condemned by the whole world for disrespecting the Christians” she added.

The devotees were trapped for more than 3 hours due to the incident. They finally were able to go home to their respective barangays after Butuan City Mayor Ferdinand M. Amante, Jr. deployed at least 6 dump trucks to fetch them.

Mayor Amante also deployed an ambulance with a medical team to attend the scratches and bruises to some of the devotees who were wounded during the incident. He also mobilized the city's social services department to immediately extend assistance to the victims.

Meanwhile, Jorge Madlos, alias Ka Oris, spokesperson of the CPP-NPA-NDF Mindanao denied the NPA’s participation in the incident early Friday.

“Walay NPA sa maong zigzag road, wala mi interest sa paggubot sa area ug kadto mis-enocunter sa Army ug police” (There were no NPA’s in the zigzag road area, we have no interest to create trouble. The incident was a mis-encounter between the Army and police), added the CPP-NPA-NDF spokesman, in a live interview over a radio station in Butuan City Friday.

However, top officials of the AFP and PNP here rebuffed the statement of Ka Oris.

In another development, alleged NPA’s struck anew leaving behind a swath of destruction on a banana plantation on Wednesday night in Barangay Anahao Daan, Tago town, Surigao del Sur, said regional police spokesman Supt. Martin M. Gamba.

Aside of destroying the fully grown banana plantation of DOLE Stanfilco, the perpetrators also destroyed the storeroom of DOLE and allegedly stole stored rubber shoes, Supt. Gamba added.

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