Sunday, April 7, 2019

Anti-NPA town councilor, 2 others killed in Agusan Sur ambush

From the Manila Bulletin (Apr 7, 2019): Anti-NPA town councilor, 2 others killed in Agusan Sur ambush

A town councilor, his wife and a companion were killed in an ambush in San Luis, Agusan del Sur, Saturday.

Caraga Region Director P/Brig. Gen. Gilbert Cruz identified the slain victims as San Luis councilor Franklin Mandumuotan, his wife Susan and their companion Maricel Quezon. Mandumuotan’s son Charles and another companion Norie Coguit were in the same vehicle and were wounded. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.

According to Cruz, Mandumuotan was one of the authors of a resolution that declared the New People’s Army (NPA) “persona non grata” in Barangay San Pedro in San Luis town.

“The NPA carried out the attack on him because we have a move here in the region (CARAGA) to declare the NPA as persona non grata,” Cruz told The Manila Bulletin in an interview.

“He (Mandumotan) is one of the ardent supporters of that move,” he added.

Cruz said the victims were on board a car and were heading towards the town proper of San Luis when armed men started shooting at the vehicle at around 8:30 a.m. in Barangay San Pedro.

Probers ruled out politics as the motive since Mandumotan was not seeking any elective post in the midterm elections next month.

CARAGA region is one of the areas with high presence of Communist rebels.

The government earlier cancelled the peace talks with the communist rebels and even recalled the appointment of government negotiators. Six of the consultants of the NPA, through the National Democratic Front (NDF) were earlier arrested.

The NPA has been waging five decades of armed struggle against the government. Following the cancellation of the peace talks, the rebels further escalated the attacks on the government and initiated moves to block the localized peace talks now being pushed by the government.

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