Military authorities here have launched a province wide
manhunt against a band of communist guerrillas who killed a security guard of a
banana company and wounded five soldiers in an attack late Tuesday night in
Tampakan town.
Colonel Ronald Jess Alcudia, 27th Infantry Battalion
commander, said the soldiers are now out of danger.
He said government forces and militiamen are pursuing them,
in due time they will answer to the atrocities committed to peacekeepers.
He said a platoon size soldiers were on foot patrol near the
banana firm’s airstrip when attacked by undetermined number of armed men
believed to be New Peoples’ Army (NPA) in Barangay Kipalbig, Tampakan, South
Cotabato.
Citing intelligence reports, Alcudia said the armed men were
planning to inflict damages to the multi-national firm, including the plot
destroy the light aircraft parked at the firm’s airstrip.
Responding to the report, Alcudia deployed a team of
soldiers to Barangay Kipalbig as peacekeepers after armed men were sighted in
the interior village.
He identified the slain security guard as as Melchor
Galamagang who was declared dead on arrival at the South
Cotabato provincial hospital here.
The wounded infantrymen were Privates First Class (PFC) John
Ivan Suarte, Danny Mark Tandog, John Paul Salindong Mohammad Ali at Alfred
Ablanzar.
Three of them were outpatient for suffering minor injuries
while Ali and Ablanzar were moved to a private hospital in Gen. Santos City.
A 30-minute fire fight ensued until the guerrillas fled to
the hinterlands of Barangay Kipalbig after the 11 p.m. skirmishes.
Alcudia could not specifically say whether or not the armed
men suffered casualties. But added the soldiers found blood stain in the armed
men's escape route.
Villagers also told police they saw several wounded armed
men carried by fleeing guerrillas.
The NPAs have been mulcting the firm, demanding hundreds of
thousands of "protection money" but the banana plantation management
ignored the demand and seek government protection.
Companies and business establishments whose owners refuse to
give in to the NPA extortion activities were subjected to harassment, including
burning of heavy equipment and assassination of firm executives.
The military arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines
Soldiers have been reaching out to far flung communities
through its peace and development operation despite the danger of land mine,
ambuscades and treacherous attacks by NPAs.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=789838
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