Ranking rebel officer among 12 slain in raid on Agusan tribal chief's home

From InterAksyon (Jul 17): Ranking rebel officer among 12 slain in raid on Agusan tribal chief's home

One of 12 New People’s Army fighters who died when they raided the home of a Manobo tribal leader in Prosperidad town, Agusan del Sur Tuesday was a ranking rebel leader who led the attack, the military said.

This developed as the rebels acknowledged losing 14 fighters in the attack on the home of Datu Calpito Egua in Barangay Sta. Irine and subsequent clashes with his followers as well as on another “bandit” group in San Francisco town, in a statement sent to Mindanao media.

Major General Ricardo Visaya, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said Joseph Tajora Cainong, alias Malik and Alas, was the secretary of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 8.

Egua was wounded in the attack and lost four of his men.

The military said three 3 M16 rifles and four AK47 rifles were recovered from the rebels.

In a report posted by Davao Today, Maria Malaya, spokesperson of the National Democratic Front-Northeastern Mindanao, said the attack on Egua’s compound was part of “simultaneous raids to crush three private armed groups” in Agusan del sur.

Other rebels also attacked Egua’s followers in Barangay La Purisima, also in Prosperidad, and another armed group, led by Renato Villaverde, in Barangay Bitan-agan, San Francisco town.

Malaya described Egua as a “powerful warlord” who grabbed the lands of fellow “lumad,” or indigenous people, and small miners with the backing of the Army, police and local government units to allow him to “control the mining area of Manhulayan” in Surigao del Sur so “all of them can make a profit.”

She claimed Egua commanded a private army of 60 members and accused him of the “massacre, salvaging (extrajudicial killing), rape and ambush of his own kin.”

The rebel spokesperson said 10 guerrillas and the driver of the vehicle they were using were killed in the attack on Egua’s compound. Another rebel died when soldiers clashed with the NPA blocking force in Barangay Hamugaway, Bayugan City.

The attacks on Egua’s followers and on Villaverde’s group were more successful.

The La Purisima raid, said Malaya, netted the rebels eight assault rifles and two pistols, although they lost a fighter, while the attack in San Francisco town saw Villaverde killed and the rebels seizing three firearms.

Meanwhile, Malaya appealed to “concerned government agencies to extend the embalming of the dead Red fighters to a minimum of one week so we can have enough time to contact their families” and said they “are ready to pay for the funeral expenses.”

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/91392/ranking-rebel-officer-among-12-slain-in-raid-on-agusan-tribal-chiefs-home