Army hunts suspected NPAs in landmine attack in North Cotabato

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 8): Army hunts suspected NPAs in landmine attack in North Cotabato 

The Army here has launched manhunt against suspected New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels who set off several improvised land mines that left an Army captain and one of his men wounded in a remote village in Magpet, North Cotabato Sunday afternoon, an Army official said today.

Colonel Nilo Vinluan, commander of the 57th Infantry Battalion, confirmed to Philippine News Agency (PNA) that two of his men were slightly hurt when members of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) set off two or more improvised land mine along a dirt road in Barangay Balite, Magpet, North Cotabato at past 3 p.m.

Vinluan said Captain Nasrullah Sema and a certain Pfc. Camia sustained minor injuries and are now recuperating at a hospital in Kidapawan City.

He said the team of Captain Sema, company commander, was on board in at least three motorcycles heading toward Barangay Balite village center to conduct “Pulong-Pulong” on the Peace and Development Outreach Program (PDOP) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Vinluan has condemned the use of land mine by communist guerrillas against his men saying the military in Magpet has been pushing for peaceful dialogues with the NPAs but it continued to ignore the offer.

Seven of Magpet’s villages are primary area of the 57th IB’s peace and development activities aimed at helping the locals attain peace in their communities.

“We believed that when there is peace in a community, development follow through,” Vinluan said, adding that his unit had been subjected to several bomb attacks by the NPA.

“Despite that, we remain committed to pushing for peace and development because that is the national government’s thrust in far-flung communities,” he said.

Magpet, located at the slope of the country’s highest peak – Mt. Apo, is among the towns in North Cotabato infiltrated by communist rebels.

Vinluan said no one or no group could stop the PDOP because the program was a noble one aimed at nothing but help improve peoples’ lives in the countryside.

Aside from Magpet, PDOP is also being implemented the towns of Tulunan, Makilala, Kidapawan City, Mlang, President Roxas, Antipas and Arakan.

 http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=713771