Grandma, 2 kids die in Philippine encounter

From The Gulf Today (Apr 22): Grandma, 2 kids die in Philippine encounter

A 70-year-old grandmother and two of her grandchildren, aged 11 and 9, were killed when they were caught in the crossfire during a clash between government forces and members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) on the island province of Masbate in the Bicol Region.

Senior Inspector Maria Luisa Calubaquib, the provincial police spokesman, identified the grandmother as Lolita Peita who died with her two grandchildren amid hints they were used as “human shields” by the rebels.

Calubaquib also reported that a relative of the victims, a widower and also aged 70, was wounded in the encounter that occurred on Thursday afternoon in a remote village in the town of Cawayan, Masbate.

Calubaquib said a team of Army soldiers were on security patrol when they clashed with the rebels in the village described by the military as an “NPA lair” where it was not unusual for the insurgents to use residents as “human shields” during encounters with government forces.

Also in Masbate, the military reported its discovery of an NPA bomb factory during recent clearing operations in another remote village in the town of Milagros.

The facility was capable of manufacturing hundreds of improvised explosive devices including landmines used by the insurgents in their attacks on military and police camps, according to the military.

The NPA with about 4,000 members is the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines that has been waging a Maoist-style insurgency against the government for close to 50 years, considered The longest in Asia and the Pacific.

When he took over Malacanang Palace on June 30, 2016, President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte initiated the resumption of peace talks with the Maoists through their political arm the National Democratic Front (NDF) Oslo, Norway which has been brokering the negotiations.

But in February this year, Duterte ordered the cancellation of the talks as he accused the insurgents of violating the unilateral ceasefire they had declared by killing and kidnapping soldiers and policemen.

The president also ordered the military to use all available government resources including newly-acquired attack helicopters to go after the insurgents he had described as “terrorists”

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