Rebels get brazen

From the Mindanao Times (Dec 7): Rebels get brazen

Another barangay captain attacked by NPA: army

THE BARANGAY captain of Daliaon Plantation in Toril is now in stable condition after he and his companion were  ambushed by the New People’s Army in Purok 5, Barangay Alambre at 1:10 p.m. last Saturday.

The attack came just a couple of days after Antonio R. Albaran, the village head of Barangay Lamanan, Calinan District, was gunned down believed to be by communist rebels in Sitio Quibaton, Barangay Dominga.

Generoso Bacalso was driving his Honda XRM motorcycle,  with village councilor Docris Daug as the backrider, towards Toril proper.

When they reached the area, five armed men, believed to be members of Guerilla Front 54, peppered them with bullets. They jumped off from the motorcycle but Bacalso was hit on his left palm.

Luckily, members of the Bravo Company of the 84th Infantry Battalion, led by Lt. Rowell Dairocas, were just a few meters away and immediately responded to the scene upon hearing the gunbursts.

The soldiers fired upon the rebels resulting to a brief clash lasting about 10 minutes that reportedly killed one rebel. They also recovered one Baby Armalite, two magazines and 33 bullets from a caliber .40 rifle.

Datu Docris escaped unscathed while Bacalso was brought to Davao Doctors Hospital.

In an interview yesterday, Col. Louie Villanueva, commander of 84th Infantry Battalion ,said that both Bacalso and Daug were the targets since they have always been pro-military.

“Even before, the barangay captain already received death threats,” he said. “This is the retaliation of the rebels because of the successive military offensives.”

Villanueva further said the incident is still related to the abduction of 11 workers of water pump system of Congressman Isidro Ungab last month. According to him, the NPAs were asking the workers about the whereabouts of Datu Docris Daug.

“There are so many sightings of the NPAs so we need to field patrols,” he said. “They NPA won’t ever leave Toril because they can easily extort money from businesses there.”

The slain Albaran was a retired colonel from the Eastern Mindanao Command.

According to the report, the victim was abducted by alleged two members of the New People’s Army identified as alias Benjack and alias Jinggoy from his house using a red motorcycle.

A military intelligence officer told TIMES that the killing was still part of the NPA’s retaliation after the death of Leoncio Pitao alias Kumander Parago of the Pulang Bagani Command 1.

Troops of 84th Infantry Battalion, along with the Calinan Police Precinct, are now conducting an investigation into the incident.

Albaran’s body was brought to St. Peter Funeral Parlor in Calinan.

But One of the five rebels was killed as Troops were able to fire them.

http://mindanaotimes.net/rebels-get-brazen/