Military condemns NPA attacks against government troops in Surigao

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 15): Military condemns NPA attacks against government troops in Surigao

The military has condemned the communist New People’s Army (NPA) for attacking government soldiers on relief operations in the earthquake-stricken village of San Francisco in Surigao Del Sur Tuesday evening.

In a statement released Wednesday, Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Madrigal, commander of the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division here, said that “we condemn in the strongest terms possible the recent harassment of NPA on our soldiers who were assisting the civilian volunteers in the delivery of relief goods to the earthquake-stricken residents in the village of Linunggaman, San Francisco, Surigao Del Sur.”

He said that the attack waged by the NPA rebels showed that the “terrorists” could not be trusted at all.

“The NPA deceived the entire nation when they attacked the soldiers when they (NPA) even declared a 'unilateral ceasefire' so that the relief goods could be delivered smoothly to earthquake-stricken villages in Surigao Del Norte,” Madrigal said.

A platoon of the 30th Infantry Battalion in a convoy with civilian partners from local government units and non-government organizations was harassed by members of the New People’s Army after they have distributed relief goods in the communities affected by the recent magnitude 6.7 earthquake.

No casualty was reported in the incident.

Madrigal said that he has ordered all military units in Surigao Del Norte and Surigao Del Sur to cease combat operations in the hinterlands in order to come down from the hills and assist the LGUs in the rescue and retrieval operation in earthquake-stricken areas.

He said that the military is also on top of the efforts of the LGUs to restore the normal operations of the local government units and the activities of the people of Surigao.

The 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the northeastern city of Surigao and the province of Surigao Del Norte Friday last week, which resulted in the death of six people and injuries to more than 100 individuals.

The LGUs and the national government had estimated damage to properties at about PHP 650 million and restoration works went high gear this week in a bid to bring back normalcy in the lives of the people.

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