Sunday, August 24, 2014

Army (detachment commander) dies in Northern Samar ambush

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 24): Army (detachment commander) dies in Northern Samar ambush

A detachment commander of the 52nd Infantry (AGILA) Battalion was killed Friday when the ‘habal-habal’ he was riding on was flagged down by some 15 to 20 members of the New People’ Army (NPA) some 150 meters away from San Pascual village in Catarman, Northern Samar.

The Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) of the 8th Infantry Division (8ID) in a statement disclosed that the victim SSg Marciano Padilla was on his way back to the detachment when the incident happened.

The killing happened three days after the National Democratic Front of the PhilippinesEastern Visayas through its spokesperson Santiago Salas urged revolutionaries to pursue revolutionary actions against the government, said Lt. Colonel Erwin A. Alea, OIC DPAO chief.

The 8th ID, according to Alea, is saddened by the incident adding that they salute the dedication and patriotism of Padilla.

He said that the incident only proved that the CPP-NPA-NDF (CNN) has no intention of following the agreements stipulated in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHIHL), which it signed together with the government of the Philippines.

Meantime on the same day, government troops under the 34th Infantry Battalion (34th IB) assigned in Catubig, Northern Samar were involved in a firefight against suspected members of NPA.

The troops were providing security to barangay officials of Osang village along with social workers, community volunteers in conducting a feeding program to 22 pupils of Osang Elementary School, Barangay Osang, Catubig, Northern Samar.

The soldiers were fired upon by more or less five armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) who positioned themselves about 100 meters from the school.

The soldiers managed to immediately secure the pupils and civilians to a safe place while returning fire at the NPA.

The NPAs withdrew after almost 10 minute’s firefight; no one was hurt in the incident.

The attack during the feeding program only showed the other party’s total disregard of the agreement that civilians should be distinguished from combatants and shall not be the object of attacks, the DPAO official said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=676271

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.