CPP/NDF: 1002nd Bde persistent military operations, bristled with more NPA tactical offensives

Posted to the CPP Website (Apr 26): 1002nd Bde persistent military operations, bristled with more NPA tactical offensives

Ka Efren
Spokesperson
NDFP Far South Mindanao Chapter

AFP’s 1002nd Brigade continues to be a mercenary and protector of agribusiness plantations and large-scale mining companies owned by multinational corporations (MNC) and local big businessmen in Far South Mindanao. In defense of its masters, the 1002nd brigade persistently conducts military operations within or near the area owned, controlled and dominated by these foreign and local big businesses. This clearly showed the puppetry and subservience of the AFP to the foreign monopoly capitalists and to the big comprador bourgeoisie and landlords on one hand, and its trickery, brutality, fascism and terrorism against the people on the other hand.

The first four months of 2013 is characterized by a massive and sustained combat operations in combination with the continued application of peace and development outreach program (PDOP) of the 27th IB, 39th IB, 73rd IB, 57th IB, 72nd Cadre Battalion, 2nd SR Battalion, CAFGUs and PNP’s Regional Public Safety Battalion 12 within and surrounding the areas of XSTRATA-SMI, Dole Philippines, SUMIFRU, San Miguel Energy Corportion, T’boli Mining Corporation and LOOC Mining.

Inclusive of these military operations are 40 barangays of 17 towns in the provinces of Davao del Sur, North Cotabato, Sarangani, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. The size of these combat operations is ranging from company to battalion and lasted from a minimum of five day to 14 day operation. Almost every two weeks, 1002nd brigade mobilized its battalions in clearing operations in order to secure the properties, top management personnel and business activities of foreign and local agribusiness plantations and mining corporations.

While protecting foreign and local big businesses, 1002nd brigade continues to wreck havoc on the lives and livelihood of peasants and other poor people in the militarized areas. The mayhem and human rights violations created by the 1002nd brigade’s brute force against the local people compelled them to resist and raised their active participation in waging the peoples’ war. Thus, the New People’s Army in Far South Mindanao was able to launch several counter attacks, based on the ever widening and deepening of revolutionary mass base, against the offensive blows unleashed by the fascist troops.

While Christian believers, especially the Roman Catholic Church, was observing the celebration of Holy Week, but the 39th IB and 73rd IB were busy conducting combat operations in the hinterlands of Sarangani and Davao del Sur provinces in a desperate objective of smashing the guerrilla fighters of NPA Front 75. Instead of trouncing the Red fighters, the fascist troops of 73rd IB sustained two killed and one wounded in action when they were ambushed by a platoon of NPA guerrillas last March 27 (Holy Wednesday) at 2:30 PM in sitio Camogna, Brgy, Tamban, Malungon Sarangani Province. One of the two killed in action was identified as 2nd Lt. Jagar of 73rd IB.

The ambush happened after a squad of guerrilla fighters of the same front successfully dis-armed a despotic landlord and a barangay councilor of Kinangan, Malita, Davao del Sur two days earlier. The Red fighters seized one .45 caliber pistol and one .357 caliber revolver in the said action. As retaliation, 10th ID of Eastern Mindanao Command of the AFP launched a two day indiscriminate aerial bombing and artillery firing, thus forcing tens of civilian families of sitio Camogna and other neighboring sitios to evacuate and seek refuge to their relatives in nearby communities.

Also, at noontime of April 14 a squad of guerrilla fighters of Front 75 arrested and killed an intelligence agent of 73rd IB named Sayaw Tanggi in Sitio Malaya, Brgy. Alegria, Alabel, Sarangani. Seized from his position was a 12 gauge shotgun. Sayaw Tanggi, a legitimate military target of NPA as intelligence agent of AFP, also found guilty beyond reasonable doubt by a revolutionary court of Alabel, Sarangani province for his direct participation in the Lampasak Massacre (17 victims including children) of October 1985, double murder of March 1990, landgrabbing, robbery and cattle rustling. All of these cases were filed against him in a revolutionary court and were tried in absentia because he was resisting arrest and went hiding from revolutionary authorities. He was arming himself and took refuge under the 73rd IB and became an active intelligence agent of the AFP.

Meanwhile, the Mt. Alip Command of NPA Guerrilla Front 72 inflicted several casualties against the operating troops of 39th IB and 57th IB when the Red fighters launched a sniping operation in April 10 and 11 in Brgy. Luayon, Makilala, North Cotabato. One of the seriously wounded among the casualties of the reactionary armed forces was 2nd Lt. Alejo of 39th IB. In response, 1002nd Bde indiscriminately bombed the area, where the attack of NPA Red fighters took place, using rocket launchers from two attack helicopters. These aerial bombing resulted to damage of properties including a hectare of rubber with more or less 400 matured plants, obstruction of works of rubber plant tappers and farmers of barangays Luayon, Sta. Felomina, New Baguio, and Bato, all in Makilala town. And, while on the way to their command post, a platoon of 57th IB riding in a military vehicle was hit by an anti-personnel command detonated explosive blasted by a demolition team of NPA Mt. Alip Command at around 7:50 evening of April 14 in Brgy. Malasila, Makilala. It caused undetermined number of casualties on the said AFP troops.

In Brgy. Upper Suyan, Malapatan, Saranggani province, Red fighters of Alex Ababa Command of NPA Front 71 initiated an encounter, twice, against a commando platoon of 1002nd Brigade last April 13, 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM respectively. No casualties on both sides. But, the masses in the area noticed that the said enemy troops were equipped with protective gears – a bullet proof vest. On the same day, a duo of Red fighters seized one M16 armalite rifle without firing a single shot from one of the 73rd IB’s soldiers resting at that time in Sitio Solkili, Upper Suyan. The two guerrillas pretended as civilians, mingle with the local people, and with the enemy too, until they saw an opportunity to take the M16 rifle of the sleeping soldier of 73rd IB.

The Charlie Coy of 27th IB, commanded by 1st LT. Wayagwag, sustained three killed and undetermined number of wounded in action when they were ambushed by a platoon of Junito Banda Command of NPA Front 73 at 2:00 PM of April 16 in Sitio Pulanglupa, Brgy. Takonel, Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. The ambush transpired after the Red fighters received information from the masses that a platoon of 27th IB’s Charlie Coy was heading towards their location. Without any delay, the Red fighters set up an ambush with anti-personnel command detonated explosive. The ambush lasted for more or less fifteen minutes. The guerrilla fighters withdrew without casualty. This recent military offensive of Front 73 against AFP troops slammed the 1002nd brigade’s propaganda and psy-ops that the NPA in South Cotabato is negligible.

Andres IIicot Command of Guerilla Front 74 launched five consecutive harassments and sniping against operating troops of 39th IB in April 20-23 in Sitio Blasan, Brgy. Malawanit, Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. The enemy troops sustained one killed in action and undetermined number of wounded. The 39th IB was on their fifth day of operations when the Red fighters started harassing them. Kannemer Foods International, a multinational agribusiness company, is targeting more than 1000 hectares of land in Sitio Blasan for its various high value and export crops.

This latest intensification of NPA’s counter offensives against the brute force of 1002nd brigade is one of the many manifestations of NPA’s defense of the peoples’ rights and welfare. Thus, ascertaining once again that the NPA is the true people’s army, not the deceptive, fascist and mercenary AFP.###

http://www.philippinerevolution.net/statements/20130426_1002nd-bde-persistent-military-operations-bristled-with-more-npa-tactical-offensives