NPA owns attack on Army camp in Comval

From the Sun Star-Davao (Aug 22): NPA owns attack on Army camp in Comval

THE New People's Army (NPA) in Southern Mindanao claimed responsibility for the attack on 71st Infantry Battalion headquarters in Mabini, Compostela Valley (Comval).

It also admitted holding a government troop, which they seized on August 3 at the vicinity of the military headquarters in Barangay Mapaang, Maco town.

Daniel Ibarra, Comval Davao Gulf sub regional command spokesperson, in a statement issued Wednesday night, said Private First Class Rodello Canda Arigonan has remained under their custody.

The bomb attack on the headquarters of the 71st IB in Barangay Pangibiran, Mabini town happened at around 8 p.m. on August 5.

The explosion resulted to the killing of at least six Army soldiers, while five others were wounded.

The NPA said the operation was intended to "give justice to two victims of extrajudicial killings and to peasant victims of AFP atrocities."

They identified the victims as Eddie Canon, a civilian and municipal coordinator of a progressive party-list group in Barangay San Isidro, Mawab town last May 25, and Ramil Lintas, a motorcycle driver of Barangay Calabcab, Maco town last July 25.

Ibarra said that members of the military intelligence battalion under 1001st Brigade-10th Infantry Division were responsible of the incident.

“The military's counter-revolutionary campaign forces the evacuation and dislocation of peasants to kowtow to the interest of land-grabbers and big miners in Compostela Valley. Military units, like the children killer 71st IB, are responsible for the most despicable crimes against the people,” the statement read.

"As the NPA keeps custody of Arigonan as its Prisoner of War, it will hold accountable elements of the reactionary armed force who continue to abuse poor peasants and indigenous peoples in the countryside," Ibarra said.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/davao/local-news/2013/08/22/npa-owns-attack-army-camp-comval-299243