Bombing of NPA camp was to explode IEDs intended for advancing government troopers -PROCOR

From the Philippine News Agency (Sep 4): Bombing of NPA camp was to explode IEDs intended for advancing government troopers -PROCOR

The bombing of a New People's Army camp in Sagada was not an "over kill" but was in order to clear the mine-laden area where advancing government troops were about to proceed to overrun the enemy camp.

Police Senior Superintendent Dave Limmong, Police Regional Office in Cordillera (PROCOR) public information officer, said that based on the post-battle assessment, the bombing was not an “over kill” as others perceived the operations, but to clear the assault point from the improvised explosive devices (IED's) laid by the rebels against the special police combat team.

The Philippine National Police (PNP), assisted by concerned government troops in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) attacked the camp when the NPA in that area posed as imminent threat not only to the welfare of the residents, but also to assure the peaceful holding of the barangay elections this October.

Other local officials view the successful raid of an NPA camp as a means to protect the improving tourism industry of the town which offers the tourists beautiful caves, and the relics of the 18th century European culture through the Spanish colonizers and missionaries.

Limmong said the bombings were precise that they noted no casualty among the NPA and the government troopers.

Two policemen of an elite PNP force was seriously wounded during the initial encounter. Both survived and were duly assisted by the government.

”Clearing our region from the remnants of the communist insurgency is part of of our mission to assure an honest, peaceful, orderly and credible barangay elections, and protect the people the interest of the people who themselves as for help from the government that the rebels would not stall the on-going economic and social activities in the region,” said Limmong.

”In fact, the PROCOR is now ready to implement night patrols and checkpoints for the government campaign to fully implement gun control while a political exercise is about to be conducted,” he said.

Limmong added that the barangay elections in October which shall be done manually “needs to be guarded against any political violence especially when firearms could be used by the local political protagonists,” he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=562019