SAMAR. The bullet-riddled vehicle of government soldiers. (Photo by Ricky J. Bautista)
BASEY, Samar -- Five government soldiers were seriously injured in an ambush staged by suspected communist rebels in Barangay New San Agustin in this municipality around 8:30 a.m. Sunday, April 17.
Senior Sergeant John Siervo, one of the six Army responders, said the five soldiers were on board a military vehicle and traversing the New San Agustin highway when they hit a landmine laid by the New People's Army (NPA) along the side of the road.
The area where the incident happened is more or less two kilometers away from the 87th Infantry Battalion Army detachment in Sitio Guirang, Barangay Rawis.
“After nung apat na malalakas na landmine, ni-rush up ng NPA ang KM450 nila at kinuha ang mga naiwang armas ng mga sundalo,” said Siervo.
Siervo said that only two of the five injured soldiers managed to fire back while running to safety, because all of them were hit by shrapnel.
Wounded were Senior Sergeant Luisito Abelido, Privates First Class Danilo Silagan, Domie Sanchez, Renato Padernal, and Baldonado who sustained gunshot wounds in various parts of their body. They were brought to a hospital in Tacloban City for medical treatment.
The exchange of fire lasted for about 30 minutes. No reported casualty on both sides. The bullet-riddled Army vehicle was a total wreck. The concrete road was also partly destroyed.
Siervo said the rebels carted away the troops' belongings, including one M16 assault rifle and K3 sub-machine gun.
Responding troopers and policemen found at the encounter site live and empty shells of different high-powered rifles, fragments of landmine, used claymore, blasting cables and wires.
“Base sa mga naiwang mga bakas, mukhang kagabi pa sila nag-aabang dito. At kitang-kita naman sa mga naiwan nila sa lugar na mayroon mga 40-50 rebelde ang nagsagawa ng ambush,” said Private First Class Padios.
Around 14 rounds of unused M60 ammunitions, water bottles, preserved food, improvised bed sheets, NPA white head band, and other clothing were also recovered near the ambush site.
Army responders said the NPA fighters, numbering to about 40 to 50, were headed by Kumander Dulay of Section Committee 2 of the Regional Guerilla Unit (RGU) of the CPP-NPA-NDF operating the Paranas-Sta-Rita-Basey-Marabut towns.
Residents in the area, mostly children, were temporarily trapped in the area and were said to be traumatized by the firefight.
A foreign tourist who happened to be on his way to the famous Sohoton Cave was halted and immediately cancelled his trip.
Rizza Macalalad, staff of the Basey Tourism Office, said they might cancel at least 50 bookings for Sunday's (April 17) visit to the town's various attractions for security and safety reasons.
“Titingnan muna naming ang sitwasyon kung i-cancel or not ang mga naka-booked na guests naming ngayon… for their safety,” she said.
Meanwhile, while the firefight is ongoing between the military and NPA, policemen in Basey proper had put up a barricade going in and out of municipal town hall and police station for possible attack.
“Due to our limited number of personnel, we have to secure first our station and the government center. We can’t back up the troops in the area,” a policeman in full battle gear said.
Lieutenant Colonel George Domingo, commander of the 87th IB, deployed hot pursuit operations against the rebels who fled immediately toward Cogon and Bulao villages in Basey.
Last week, CPP-NPA-NDF spokesman Fr. Santiago Salas said the NPA in Eastern Visayas continued to make strides in intensifying their guerrilla warfare amid being tagged as a priority target under the Oplan Bayanihan of the government.
Salas said that based on the initial report of the movement’s Regional Operations Command, the NPA in the region was able to carry out 35 military actions, inflicting 137 casualties against the government forces and confiscated 24 low- and high-powered firearms in said attacks.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2016/04/17/5-soldiers-wounded-npa-ambush-samar-468403
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