NPA claims dead, wounded soldiers hit by friendly fire

From the Sun Star-Cagayan de Oro (Mar 13): NPA claims dead, wounded soldiers hit by friendly fire

The New People’s Army (NPA) has issued a statement challenging the claim of the Army’s 30th Infantry Battalion regarding the death of a soldier and the wounding of another, saying the two soldiers, who the Army said figured in a firefight with rebels Wednesday evening, March 8, were hit by friendly fire.

 

 In a statement dated March 10, 2017, Ka Ariel Montero, spokesperson of the Regional Operational Command, NPA, NorthEastern Mindanao Region, said it would have been impossible for the NPA to have killed the soldier.

 

“The Army statement that the encounter ensued between his troops and the NPA-Front 16 in Budlingin, Alegria, Surigao del Norte, last March 8, 2017 around 8:30 in the evening, is a big lie. Not one among the NPA forces were in the area during that time. The gunfire came from his own troops. It is obvious that the 30th IB troops implementing COPD fired upon each other during their patrol on that night which resulted in the killing of Pfc. Jhon Francis Rivera and the wounding of Pfc. Windyl Daayata,” said Montero.

 

The statement called the incident a blunder upon the 30th IB commander and that they tried to effect a cover up on the incident.

 

 “Because Lieutenant Colonel Amaro is responsible for the blunder, he then made up lies to hide his shame. This has been his and the AFP’s fabrication to smear the NPA and the entire revolutionary movement. In fact, they have been spreading written lies in the barrios of Malimono, Surigao del Norte to tarnish the revolutionaries,” said part of the statement.

 

Ka Oto, spokesperson of Guerilla Front 16 of the NPA who is operating in the area between Surigao del Norte and Agusan del Norte, collaborated the claim.

 

“We did not have any personnel on that area during the time of the encounter. This claim of the army is to hide what really happened. The death of the soldier after a legitimate encounter would be a big boost to our ranks; of course we will acknowledge this if only it is true. In the past, we would immediately issue a statement if we have killed a soldier after an encounter but unfortunately this was not true. The soldiers are staying and made the Multi-Purpose Barangay Hall in barangay Budlingin their camp, maybe they panicked by the gossip that NPA will attack and made a night patrol, in the cover of darkness, they began firing a mere 20 meters away from where they were encamped,” said Ka Oto.

 

But Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, refuted the NPA claim. “We only have one, operating troop that was sent to address the reported extortion activities of the said terror group. This statement from the NPA is plain and simple propaganda that is intended to hide their presence in the area. They would only want to discredit the clamor of the people of their continued atrocities inside their community,” said Martinez.

 

The concerned community has yet to respond to our request through the Local Government Unit of Alegria to help shed light to what really happened the night of March 8, 2017.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2017/03/13/npa-claims-dead-wounded-soldiers-hit-friendly-fire-530709