Reds attacks vs. civilians due to reverses in Southern Luzon

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 7, 2021): Reds attacks vs. civilians due to reverses in Southern Luzon (By Priam Nepomuceno)

Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade, Jr., AFP Southern Luzon Command chief (PNA File photo)

Desperation over the growing numbers of surrenderers has prompted the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) to conduct another anti-personnel landmine attack against innocent civilians in Masbate on June 6 that killed Far Eastern University (FEU) football player, Keith Absalon, and cousin, and wounded a minor.

Lt. General Antonio Parlade, Jr., Armed Forces of the Philippines Southern Luzon Command chief, labeled as desperate the latest atrocity of communist terrorists that seeks to reverse the 117 surrenders suffered by the CPP-NPA in Bicol and Southern Tagalog in the past two months.

"As a result of this, the NPAs are carelessly taking desperate actions to reverse the trend, even at the expense of killing civilians. This morning, two civilians were killed and a 16-year old boy was wounded in Masbate when they were attacked by the NPAs with an anti-personnel mine followed by gunfire.,” Parlade said in a statement forwarded to the Philippine News Agency Sunday night

Keith Absalon,, 21, a varsity football player, was killed together with his uncle 40-year old uncle Nolven Absalon 40. Nolven's son, 16-year old Daniel Absalon, was also wounded in the attack while the victims were biking in Purok 4, Barangay Anas, Masbate City at around 10 a.m.

Aside from this unprovoked attack against the Absalons, he said communist terrorists also torched a Globe Telecoms cell tower on the same day and rigged a landmine in a nearby light post at around 3 a.m. in Barangay Humapon, Legazpi City Albay to maim and kill responding government security troops

"The landmine exploded, wounding instead (passing) four civilians aboard a passing tricycle," he added.

Such atrocities, he said, are not new for the CPP-NPA as they committed a similar ‘anti-personnel and mine’ incident in Barangay Calumpang, Cawayan, Masbate on June 1.

"Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident. In Barangay Aliang, Ligao City, Albay, a similar ‘landmining’ attack by the NPAs wounded two civilians last April 3," he added.

Ambushes, too

Another sign of communist terrorists' desperation is the series of ambushes conducted by a small band of NPA rebels against police and military units going about their mandate in Mindoro and Quezon.

"Also, ambushes committed by a handful of NPAs have been reported in Mindoro and Buenavista, Quezon. The former happened in Barangay San Nicolas, Magsaysay, Occidental Mindoro last May 28 that killed three policemen in a convoy assisting the LGU (local government unit) conducting a "Serbisyo Caravan at Ugnayan sa Barangay" in Barangay Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro,” he said.

In Barangay Bagong Silang, Buenavista, Quezon on June 5, a CAA (CAFGU Active Auxiliary) was killed when his team were ambushed using an APM after coming from a community gift-giving activity at a nearby Barangay del Rosario.

Panic mode

He added that these incidents are indicators that NPA rebels are in panic mode as they are losing many of their comrades due to a series of surrenders.

"The NPAs are forced to attack to show they still exist, albeit insignificantly now. They have also been losing their top cadres, like Rommel Riza alias 'Jomar', CO (commanding officer) of STRPC (Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee), Main Regional Guerilla Unit (MRGU) and Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) ," Parlade said.

On June 3, 2020, two suspected high-ranking personalities of SRMA (Sub-Regional Military Area) 4A were also apprehended when their boat took shelter in Romblon while en route to Quezon Province from Mindoro during the height of Tropical Storm Dante.

He said a Glock-17 pistol and a hand grenade were found in the boat. The two are suspected to be alias 'Elian', the Deputy Secretary of SRMA-4B operating in Bondoc Peninsula in Quezon Province, and his party wife alias 'Fiel', political officer of SRMA-4B.

He said such the "treacherous acts" of the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front cannot be tolerated.

"We condemn these heinous violations of the International Humanitarian Law," he added.

The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1142878