Troops thwart NPA bomb try

From the Business Mirror (Feb 22): Troops thwart NPA bomb try

A reported attempt by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) to bomb an ongoing government project in Bukidnon was thwarted over the weekend, after government troops clashed with the rebels.

The clash occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on Friday in Barangay Iba, Cabanglasan, Bukidnon, according to Capt. Norman Tagros, civil-military operations officer of the Army’s 8th Infantry Battalion (IB).

Tagros said the more than an hour firefight happened after residents reported the presence of eight armed men in Barangay Iba, who were reportedly laying a homemade bomb along the road where there is an ongoing road-concreting project.

The rebels were later identified as members of the Section 89 of the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Regional Committee, under Noel Gabute, alias Commander Cesar.

The soldiers sustained no casualty, while Tagros said they believed the guerrillas incurred casualties, as evidenced by blood stains along the routes of their withdrawal.
Recovered from the scene of the firefight included 300 meters of detonating wire, a handheld radio, four backpacks and several documents.

Tagros said policemen who were supporting the operations of the soldiers against the rebels also clashed with a group of the guerillas nearly an hour later in a different location also in the barangay.

The successive clashes followed the killing of two policemen by rebels during an ambush in Barangay Caningay, Candoni, Negros Occidental, on Thursday.

Lt. Col. Ray Tiongson, chief of the public affairs office of the 3rd Infantry Division, said rebels ambushed members of the Candoni Municipal Police Station, killing PO3 Joe Harry Peralta and PO1 Henrey Pacheco.

The ambush, which occurred at around 10:20 p.m., also resulted in the wounding of PO2 Jay Arroyo and PO1 Modesto Viña, and civilian Rey Duales.

“Personnel of Candoni Philippine National Police were waylaid by the NPAs at around 10:20 p.m. while on their way back to their station, after responding to a call for help and conducting investigation in a hacking incident in the area,” Tiongson said.

“Based on the investigation, the two fatalities—PO3 Joe Harry Peralta and PO1 Henrey Pacheco—were shot point-blank on their heads and finished off by the murderous NPA,” he added.

On Tuesday last week, elements of the 8th IB also clashed with rebels belonging to Section 89 of North Central Mindanao Regional Committee in Barangay Can-ayan, Malaybalay City, Bukidnon.

Capt.  Lorenzo Siobal Jr., civil-military operations officer of the 403rd Brigade, said the firefight happened after residents reported the presence of armed men in the area.

“The military operation was prompted by reports from concerned citizens regarding the continued sightings of rebel group in the area,” he said.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/troops-thwart-npa-bomb-try/