SUSPECTED members
of the New People's Army (NPA) swooped down on the security post of a
privately-owned subdivision in Bukidnon and took away their firearms shortly
before noon on Saturday, authorities said.
The military said
around 40 to 60 Maoist insurgents raided a subdivision in Barangay San Miguel,
Manolo Fortich town around 10 a.m. on Saturday.
Major Christian
Uy, Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID) spokesperson, said armed
rebels from the Guerrilla Front 4B disarmed security guards manning the outpost
of Pineapple Country Homes.
Uy furthered the
NPAs carted away four shotguns owned by the guards before fleeing toward
Barangay Santo Niño in Manolo Fortich heading to a boundary of Malitbog town.
He added the
military and police established road blocks along the major highway in Manolo
Fortich while rebels also put up blocking forces on the interior roads leading
to the subdivision in the village
of San Miguel
Uy added the
guerrilla members' purpose was only to steal firearms since there was no other
report of damages.
In a report of
the Philippine News Agency (PNA), police said residents in the village
scampered and padlocked their houses as the raid progressed.
Uy said the
Philippine Army's First Special Forces Battalion has been deployed to conduct
pursuit operations and prevent the rebels from staging another attack in Manolo
Fortich and Libona towns where a good number of multinational companies have
been operating.
In 2013, NPA
rebels raided and burned equipment owned by Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI).
Last week, they
also raided the company’s banana plantation in Tubay town in Agusan del Norte.
Lately, the
Maoist rebels staged series of raids in Bukidnon and executions on politicians
who allegedly had been actively campaigning against the communists.
‘Prisoners of
war’
In a YouTube
video uploaded by Ang Kalihukan, the official publication of the NCMRC, on
Saturday, two officers of the AFP who were seized by the NPA rebels last August
22 in Impasug-ong town in Bukidnon appeared on video pleading for the
Philippine government and officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) to help their immediate release.
"Akong
panawagan sa opisyales sa gobyerno labi na sa AFP nga unta matabangan ‘mi
makagawas sa among kahimtang nga naa ‘mi sa kamot sa NPA. Unta masabtan nila
among sitwasyon karon nga naa ‘mi sa lasang. Unta tabangan ‘mi nila unsaon
pagpadali ug pagawas (We are calling on government officials, especially the
AFP officials, to help free us from the hands of the NPA. We hope they
understand our situation since we are held captive here in the mountains, and
that they will help us for our immediate release)," Private First Class
Jerrell Yorong, one of the captive soldiers, said in the video.
Private First
Class Marnel Cinches assured his family that they are taken care of by the
insurgents.
Yorong and
Cinches of the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) under Bravo company were captured
by the NPA and considered by the rebels as their prisoners of war.
Lieutenant Norman
Tagros, 8IB's Civil Military Operations chief, told this paper previously that
Cinches and Yorong were not in uniform and unarmed when the insurgents in bonnets
flagged them down on board a motorcycle.
The captives are
assigned under the Community Organizing for Peace Development in Barangay
Bontongon, Impasug-ong.
In an emailed
statement, Allan Juanito, NPA-North Central Mindanao Region spokesperson, said Cinches
and Yorong are being investigated on possibly committing human rights
violations against the people in the communities where they had been assigned
and if there are other complaints against them too.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/09/01/armed-group-raids-guard-post-bukidnon-362966
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