Army General: Back off, NPA

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 19): Army General: Back off, NPA

Major General Aurelio Baladad, Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), reiterated his plea for the New People’s Army to stop atrocities against both government troops and civilians in Negros and Panay Islands.

The NPA staged two attacks last July 17.

The first was in Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, where members of the 47th Infantry Battalion were conducting peace and security operations, when an estimated 30 NPA rebels fired at them at around 2:15 in the afternoon.

The five-minute firefight left two government soldiers dead. They were Corporal Napoleon Supresencia and Private First Class Henry Lumio Jr.
The incident also wounded Private First Class Leland Sucatre.

At 3:45 p.m., the NPA attacked soldiers of 82nd Infantry Battalion (82 IB) in Tubungan, Iloilo.

Baladad said that the 82 IB troops were providing security for a medical team of the 301st Infantry Brigade (301 IB) and Operation Blessing Foundation Philippines, who conducted medical and dental missions in Iloilo towns of Igbaras, Leon, Miag-ao, and Tubungan.

The Iloilo incident left an NPA rebel dead. No injury or casualty was reported among government troops.

Baladad added that the attack was a clear violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, of which the NPA is a signatory.

http://www.mb.com.ph/army-general-back-off-npa/