NPA vows more attacks

From the Manila Standard Today (Nov 19): NPA vows more attacks

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) said the New People’s Army (NPA) will “carry out tactical offensives,” following its raid last November 7 in northern Occidental Mindoro.

The Paluan town attack was “successfully conducted by red fighters of the NPA Lucio de Guzman Command,” killing three government troopers, said a statement e-mailed to Manila Standard by Patnubay de Guia, spokesman of the NDF-Southern Tagalog.

“NPA red fighters, moving swiftly and precisely, successfully overpowered the armed elements” of the 408th public safety battalion of the Philippine National Police and the 76th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.”

The Southern Luzon Command, through its spokesman, Major Angelo Guzman, said the  rebels, disguised as army soldiers, arrived in two vans and opened fire on the police officers at their station in Barangay Alipao.

Crime scene investigators said the one-hour shootout resulted in the killing of Police Officer 1 Rolly Alcagno, and PO2 Robert Tendido and the wounding of P03 Fibet Laquiores along with PO1 Jose Rico Aguillana and PO1 Alex Franciso.

Paluan police chief, Senior Insp. Arnel Tupas, has been relieved as a “standard operating procedure”, according to Supt. Imelda Tolentino, regional police information officer.

“Tupas was not in the police station when it was attacked,” she said.

De Guia noted that the NPA “will be carrying out more tactical offensives, both big and small, in the coming weeks and months in order to seize more weapons from the enemy.”

Paluan Mayor Carl Michael Pangilinan and his administrator Eduardo Yambao were taken hostage and brought by the NPA guerrillas to a remote barangay of Calawagan where they were held for three hours, he claimed.

At least 23 firearms, including seven M-14 rifles, 13 M-16, a shotgun, two handguns, assorted ammunition, and other war materiel were taken during the raid, De Guia said.

“A new platoon of NPA red fighters in Mindoro is set to be armed with the newly-seized weapons from the enemy,” he said.

Pangilinan was accused and warned by the NPA for his alleged abuses committed against the poor people of Paluan, landgrabbing, cuddling of illegal loggers and illegal drug traffickers, and other illegal syndicates operating in his municipality, the rebel message added.

http://manilastandardtoday.com/2014/11/19/npa-vows-more-attacks/