10th ID lauds bravery of soldiers amidst NPA attacks in Mindanao

From the Philippine News Agency (Mar 24): 10th ID lauds bravery of soldiers amidst NPA attacks in Mindanao

The leadership of the 10th Infantry (Agila) Division of the Philippine Army lauded the bravery of soldiers who defended communities in the series of attacks staged by communists New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the provinces of Davao Oriental, North Cotabato and Bukidnon.

Major General Rafael Valencia, 10th ID commander, commended the officers and men of various army units in the said provinces for their courage and valor in securing the communities and residents.

"We cannot allow the NPA (rebels) to sow fear among the people," Valencia said in a statement on Friday.

He specifically mentioned troopers of the 67th Infantry Battalion in Davao Oriental; the 39th Infantry Battalion in North Cotabato; and 60th Infantry Battalion in Bukidnon, army units which engaged NPA rebels in their respective areas of operations on Thursday, March 23.

One soldier was killed during the attacks while three others were wounded, the army’s statement said.

The first encounter took place at around 9:15 a.m. Thursday when 60th IB troopers and NPA rebels belonging to Guerrilla Front 55 engaged in a 45-minute firefight in Barangay Cayaga, San Fernando, Bukidnon.

No soldier was hurt during the encounter but the army believed the rebels suffered heavy casualties as they fled away from the encounter site.

The second and third encounters happened at around 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. respectively, when combined elements of the 67th IB and 66th IB encountered a group of NPAs belonging to Pulang Bagani Company (PBC) 8 in Sitio Maglahos, Barangay PM Sobrecary, Caraga, Davao Oriental.

In the 9:30 a.m. encounter, two soldiers were hurt during an IED explosion, identified as Corporals Zhelmer Roquero and Hansen Dave Pajarillo, the army said.

In the 11:30 a.m. encounter, Sgt Leo Lugo, was killed when an IED exploded. PFC Rodulfo Bascon was also wounded in the explosion .
The fourth encounter on Thursday took place at around 7:20 p.m. when the joint Army-PNP team composed of troops of 39th IB and the Cotabato Police Public Safety Company (PPSC) responded to the reported NPA presence in Sitio Malapangi, Barangay Camutan, Antipas, North Cotabato.

The NPAs, who belong to Guerrilla Front 53, fled after 10 minutes of fighting, the army reported.

Valencia said the NPAs in Antipas, particularly in Barangay Camutan, were forcing the residents to join their movement.

Due to fear, around 237 families from the area and neighboring barangays evacuated to the town center of Antipas.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=974657