AFP to intensify operations vs NPA after abduction of DENR contractors

From InterAksyon (Jun 3): AFP to intensify operations vs NPA after abduction of DENR contractors



An NPA formation in southern Mindanao (videgrab from http://www.philippinerevolution.net/)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Tuesday vowed to intensify operations against New People’s Army guerrillas who abducted four contractors of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and their driver.

Kendrick Wong, Nico Lasaca, Chris Favila, and Tim Sabino, all of Manila-based Sky Eye AUV, and the driver of their rental vehicle, Jonas Loredo, were seized by rebels in Maco town, Compostela Valley Friday while flying drones for a DENR-contracted forest survey.

The rebels acknowledged seizing the team and their equipment, saying their deployment of drones was “in culpable violation of the policy of the People’s Democratic Government for bringing in of surveillance gadgets, for undertaking reconnaissance of base guerrillas of the New People’s Army and, thus, abetting the enemy’s counter-revolutionary campaign against the revolutionary forces and environmental plunder.”

The five were released Monday to Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. The DENR has admitted failing to coordinate with local authorities on the deployment of the survey team but has denied rebel suspicions the aerial survey was to aid the military track them down.

In a statement, AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said the rebels who abducted the surveyors “must be held accountable” and mocked the NPA for its “paranoia,” noting that unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, have other uses aside from spying.

“Following the release of the civilians yesterday, AFP troops vowed to intensify its operations against the NPAs particularly in Davao area where they continue to participate in illegal activities such as small-scale mining, extortion and kidnapping,” he added.

Zagala said the abduction of the contractors was “not the first time the NPAs abducted civilians in Compostela Valley,” citing an incident last month in which the military claimed communist rebels used 39 miners as “human shields” to avoid being attacked in Barangay Golden Valley, Mabini Town.

The rebels have denied this, saying the alleged hostage taking was actually a forced evacuation ordered by the Army as it prepared to mount operations against communist guerrillas who attacked Apex Mining.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/88217/afp-to-intensify-operations-vs-npa-after-abduction-of-denr-contractors