Army, PNP hunting down NPAs for killing 2 tribesmen

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20): Army, PNP hunting down NPAs for killing 2 tribesmen 

Joint elements of the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army in North Cotabato and Davao del Sur have launched coordinated operations in hunting down suspected members of the New Peoples Army who shot dead two tribal members in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur Saturday.

Sr. Supt. Ronaldo Llanera, Davao del Sur police provincial director, and Sr. Supt. Danilo Peralta, North Cotabato police provincial director, have alerted their subordinates in Kiblawan, Davao del Sur and Tulunan, North Cotabato.

The policemen were backed by the Army Special Forces and 57th Infantry Battalion based in nearby Makilala, a town in North Cotabato bordering Davao del Sur.

Reports reaching the police provincial office in Digos City showed that Santiago Masrikit and Usman Labires, both B’laan tribal members and residents of Sitio Banog, Barangay Kimalawis, Kiblawan, were shot point blank by about 10 armed men at about 7 a.m.

One of the suspects severed the left arm of Labires and took it away as they fled toward the border of Davao del Sur and North Cotabato.

The hinterlands of Kiblawan and Tulunan were known bailiwick of the NPA Front 72 Command which the Army blamed for atrocities against indigenous peoples, mining firms and multi-national companies operating in the area.

1st Lt. Nasrullah Sema, speaking for the 57th IB which has jurisdictions over Makilala and Tulunan in North Cotabato, said the communist rebels have increased their tactical offensives lately.

“We are ready, we remained on alert,” Sema said.

“Their atrocities were meant to avenge the losses they have experienced the past week when the Army captured their training camp in North Cotabato.”

Operating in small units, the NPA’s Far South Command, have been extorting money from rural and community businesses and staging piecemeal attacks against Army and militia detachments.

The communist guerrillas have been waging a 44-year Maoist armed campaign which the Army considered a repeated futile attempt against the might of Philippine Armed Forces.

President Aquino has opened a peace process with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the NPA, but the talks collapsed in April due to the rebels’ lack of sincerity.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=546247