Troops repulse rebels in 20-minute firefight

From the Manila Times (Apr 5): Troops repulse rebels in 20-minute firefight

GOVERNMENT security forces foiled an attempt by members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) to destroy a banana plantation owned by multinational firm DOLE Philippines in the province of Surigao del Sur, according to a military official.

Lt. Col. Eugenio Julio Osias 4th, spokesman, 4th Infantry Division, Philippine Army, disclosed on Friday that troops from 36th Infantry “Valor” Battalion repelled the Maoist rebels after a 20-minute gunfight that left one insurgent dead.

The encounter, he said, took place at Barangay Dayo-an, Tago, Surigo del Sur at around 1:40 a.m. yesterday.

“The troops were conducting security patrol in the immediate vicinity of the headquarter when they engaged the rebel group numbering more or less 30 men armed with jungle bolos and high-powered firearms in a fire fight which lasted for 20 minutes,” Osias said.

“The NPA were on their way to the DOLE plantation to cut the planted bananas to sabotage the said company but were surprised by the soldiers on patrol,” he added.

Osias said left behind one of their dead comrades who has yet to be identified and recovered one AK-47 automatic rifle with ammunitions beside the dead body.

“The whole division extends its sincerest condolences to the family of the dead NPA member. Another life was put to waste, which is unnecessary, only if the rebels willed to end this conflict peacefully and negotiate with the government,” Osias said.

Last February, some 50 to 100 heavily armed NPA rebels also simultaneously attacked the compounds of Del Monte and Dole in Bukidnon, killing a security guard and injured two others.

The military attributed the attacks to the said firms’ non-payment of the so-called revolutionary taxes to the communist group.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gaz-min earlier said that the series of NPA attacks against businesses, civilian and candidates in the upcoming election has alarmed the defense and military establishments.

He said authorities would have a hard time arresting the situation unless the businesses and politicians that were being subjected to NPA harassments cooperate with the proper authorities.

Gazmin admitted that the AFP does not have enough men, even stretching its forces too thin compared to its vast area of deployment.

“What we are saying is there should be a participation by the big businesses in the Joint Security Coordinating Center between the armed forces and the Philippine National Police so that there will be an exchange of information,” he said.

He expressed belief though that the series of NPA attacks prove that a lot of firms are not giving in to the NPA demand for revolutionary taxes.

 http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/news/regions/44854-troops-repulse-rebels-in-20-minute-firefight