AFP, NPA open new war front

From the Manila Standard Today (Apr 12): AFP, NPA open new war front

BUTUAN CITY – The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the communist New People’s Army have resorted to issuing press statements of their own in their heightened propaganda war.

This developed as the NPA has claimed that at least three government soldiers belonging to the 30th infantry brigade were killed and six others wounded when a team of NPA rebels attacked the state troopers in Surigao City on Saturday, April 10, 2015.

In a press statement, NPA’s Kumander Jhared, a   battalion commander of the Agusan-Surigao area said the  encounter between government troopers and his men took place at  10:30 a.m. April 10, 2015.  “Fully armed NPA rebels in an advantage position encountered the patrolling 30th IB Philippine Army soldiers in  area,” Jhared said.

Jhared said the soldiers-casualties were brought to Barangay Ema in Sison town, Surigao del Norte which was  six kilometers away from the encounter site.

“Residents in Barangay Ema saw three cadavers of soldiers belonging to 30th IB  placed in body bags while the six wounded government troopers were brought to hospitals in Surigao del Norte for treatment”  Jhared said.

But Army spokesman Major Christian Uy said there was indeed such an encounter but  it took place in Barangay Anomar in Surigao City and  not in Barangay Tongonon which is near Barangay Mat-I, a known NPA lair.

“While there was (an) encounter between some six NPA rebels and the 30th IB government troopers it lasted only for ten minutes and the NPA rebels scampered away. There (were)  no casualties on the government side but a lot on the NPA rebels side,” Uy said citing report from 30th Infantry Battalion of the 4th Infantry Division.

The Surigao City Police   confirmed there were skirmishes between NPA rebels and  government troopers within Surigao City areas but couldn’t confirm whether it was in Barangay Anomar or in Barangay Tongonon.

Surigao City investigators  said that   they received report from the military about the encounter but did not state where exactly it happened.

But  Jhared in text messages insisted the firefight took place in Tongonon.

Last April 9,  soldiers belonging to the  29th infantry   and the  NPA rebels  engaged in a brief firefighter in Sitio Tagkiling, Barangay Anticala, Butuan City. No casualties from both sides,  both military and NPA rebels claimed.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2015/04/12/afp-npa-open-new-war-front/