NPA still active despite claims of the Army

From the Sun Star-Iloilo (Dec 17): NPA still active despite claims of the Army

DESPITE claims of the Philippine Army, the New People’s Army (NPA) in Panay Island showed its fierce fangs with three successive attacks within this week as a prelude to its founding anniversary on December 26.

The communist rebels hurt two police officers in a landmine explosion in Barangay Tuburan in the town of Maayon, Capiz Province, last December 13.

Police Officer 1 Manuel Poblador and Rene Villa of the 1st Maneuver Platoon of Capiz Provincial Public Safety Company were wounded.

According to Capiz police director Senior Superintendent Robert Rodriguez, the policemen were passing by the barangay when the rebels detonated a landmine.

The communist rebels composed of more than 100 persons burned down the heavy equipment of a mini-hydropower plant project in Barangay Passi and at the damsite in Barangay Igcabugao, all in the municipality of Igbaras, Iloilo.

The attackers barged into the project site of Century Peak, a People’s Republic of China Construction Company and at the dam site in Barangay Igcabugao, Igbaras, then burned seven dump trucks, an Isuzu Elf, and three backhoes.

The attackers also carted away a shotgun and a caliber .38 revolver of the security guards they hogtied. Police estimated the damage to be P100 million. Initial findings showed a punitive action for the company’s failure to give in to extortion demands of the rebels.

The attackers were allegedly led by Ka Ruben Llorca of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ Central Front Committee as a show of force of their continued strong presence in Panay after their communist amazon leader, Ka Concha Araneta was arrested in Iloilo City three months ago.

Early morning of December 14 showed the communist rebels launched a series of offensives against government forces, injuring six Army soldiers and a civilian. A landmine exploded and wounded six soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion (82IB) in Barangay Tiolas, San Joaquin, Iloilo.

Sergeant Jose Duello, Corporal Christopher Mondaya, Private First Class Officers Rex Sencil, Danton Lim, Joemar Cardona, and Jess Rey Arca were injured. A civilian, Bryan Servano, was also wounded.

Lieutenant Colonel Enriqueto Deocadez Jr., commanding officer of the 82IB, said the attack was launched around 3:50 in the morning when his men were set to go to the province of Antique aboard two military trucks when the landmine exploded.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/iloilo/local-news/2015/12/17/npa-still-active-despite-claims-army-447482