2 cops killed in foiled NPA attack on Davao del Sur police station

By: Edwin Espejo March 10, 2014 8:26 AM

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines -- Two policemen were killed and three others wounded when some 50 New People’s Army guerrillas assaulted the police station in Matanao, Davao del Sur early Monday, a military spokesman said.

Almost simultaneously, another rebel band also reportedly attacked a military detachment in nearby Donganpekong village, also in Matanao. The military did not report any casualty in the separate attack.

Captain William Rodriguez, spokesman of the 1002nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, said the rebels arrived in Matanao around 4:30 a.m. onboard three commandeered vehicles and tried to overrun the police station.

The rebels, who wore camouflage uniforms, were reportedly led by Felix Armodia, alias Ka Jing, who the military identified as secretary of Front 72 of the NPA’s Far South Mindanao Regional command.

Alert police on duty however were able to ward off the heavily armed attackers, Rodriguez said.

“The PNP personnel were able to open fire, preventing the entry of the attacking NPAs,” Rodriguez said in a text message.

The rebels withdrew after failing to take the police station.

Rodriguez claimed the rebels suffered heavy casualties “as evidenced by the bloodstains in the attack positions” and that two rebels were killed in the ensuing pursuit operations.

He declined to identify the policemen who died in the attack pending notification of their next of kin.

The rebels are yet to issue a statement.

But during the 45th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines on December 26 last year somewhere in Makilala, Cotabato, Ka Jing warned of more offensives as they vowed to push their armed struggle to new levels.

Ka Jing is the commanding officer of the company-sized NPA Front 72 Mt. Alip Command.

The NPAs Front 72 command covers the towns of Mlang, Tulunan and portions of Makilala in Cotabato province, and the towns of Matanao, Kiblawan and portions of Magsaysay in Davao del Sur.

It also operates in the towns of Columbio in Sultan Kudarat and Tampakan in South Cotabato.

The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.

Ka Jing boasted that their unit suffered no casualty in 2013 despite a number of rebel-initiated encounters as well as defensive actions.

The NPA is celebrating it own 45th anniversary on March 29.

The Maoist-inspired CPP-NPA armed struggle is Asia’s longest-running insurgency of its kind.

The military claims it has already decimated the rebel force from a high of 25,000 fully armed guerrillas in the mid-1980s to less than 4,000 fighters nationwide.

But the CPP-NPA said it has almost rebuilt its fighting force to its previous peak, which rebel insiders put between 6,000-8,000 full time guerrilla fighters.

Suspected NPA rebels burn nickel firm’s dump trucksBy Redempto D. AndaInquirer Southern Luzon2:48 pm | Monday, March 10th, 2014

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Philippines — Suspected New People’s Army rebels burned two dump trucks working for a nickel mining company operating in the town of Sofronio Española, southern Palawan Sunday night, police said Monday morning.

An initial report received by the Provincial Police Office in Palawan showed that eight communist rebels flagged down the vehicles while on their way to the pier in Sitio Ulnog, Barangay Pulot Interior in Sofronio Espanola town to unload ore from the stockpiles of Citinickel Mining Corp. for shipment at 8:30 p.m.

After seizing the vehicles and freeing its crew, the rebels doused the trucks with gasoline and set them on fire on the road side before fleeing.

Insp. Pearl Marzo, the provincial police office spokeperson, and the spokesman of the Citinickel Mining Corp. both confirmed the attack in separate statements. Government troops have been deployed to pursue the rebels believed to be operating around the area.

“We are still completing the investigation,” Marzo told Philippine Daily Inquirer. The NPA in Palawan has not released a statement concerning the attack.

Pamela Miguel, Citinickel spokesperson, said in a radio interview Monday morning that they did not receive any demand from the NPA before the attack.

“I am not aware of any demand, not in my level,” she said in Filipino. Miguel added that the trucks were owned by a trucking contractor of Citinickel, Cherry Construction Inc.

Citinickel was recently a subject of a complaint raised by indigenous communities in Espanola about the company’s failure to release their royalty share from the mining operations’ profit as required by the Philippine Mining Code.

“Ang kabuuan hindi pa nairerelease (the entire amount has yet to be released) but we have made partial releases for scholarships that they asked. That was coming from their royalty funds,” Miguel said.

Citinickel is majority-owned by Caroline Tanchay’s Oriental Peninsula Resources Group that controls several large blocks of mining claims in the nickel-rich southern Palawan towns of Sofronio Espanola and Narra.

Boy shot, wounded in clash of NPA rebels, Army troops

By Frinston L. LimInquirer Mindanao5:42 pm | Thursday, February 13th, 2014

TAGUM CITY, Philippines — Communist rebels allegedly shot and wounded a 14-year old boy in an attack at a hinterland village in Monkayo, Compostela Valley on Wednesday, police on Thursday said.Senior Superintendent Camilo Cascolan, Compostela Valley police chief, said Russel Lombukan suffered a gunshot wound in the right part of his chest after being hit by rebel fire along Kilometer 21, Casoon village around 2:57 p.m.

The boy was picking root crops when five gunmen believed to be members of the New People’s Army’s Guerrilla Front 3 allegedly started firing at the direction of the community shed, allegedly hitting the victim, said Cascolan.

Soldiers present in the community fired back, with the exchange of gunfire lasting for two minutes before the guerrillas withdrew in an unknown direction.

The troops from the Army’s 25th Infantry Battalion were in the area pursuing the same band of rebels said to be led by a certain Rebo whom government troops had clashed with at Sitio (sub-village) Sapdan, also in Casoon the day before, according to Cascolan.

In that previous encounter, a soldier was wounded while government troops recovered rifles and explosives believed left behind by the fleeing insurgents, said Capt. Albert Caber, spokesperson of the military’s Eastern Mindanao Command.

“The soldiers administered first aid to the wounded boy and facilitated his immediate evacuation to the nearest hospital for treatment,” Senior Superintendent Cascolan added.

100 NPA rebels raid Misamis Occidental town police station

By Tito N. FielInquirer Mindanao9:23 pm | Sunday, December 15th, 2013

DON VICTORIANO, Misamis Occidental, Philippines – About a hundred New People’s Army rebels raided on Sunday morning the municipal police station here and took away assorted firearms.

Police Officer 1 Madelyn Mag-usara said the rebels overwhelmed the police station’s personnel.

Mag-usara said the rebels, pretending to be Philippine Army soldiers, arrived at around 7 a.m. asking to meet with the station’s officials.

A few minutes later, the rebels declared a raid and disarmed the policemen on duty.

“We were surprised and we did not believe they were NPA rebels,” Mag-usara said.

Before leaving, the rebels also broke some computer units inside the police station.

Cop killed, 3 hurt in NPA attack in Bukidnon

By Julliane Love De JesusINQUIRER.net2:29 pm | Thursday, December 12th, 2013

MANILA, Philippines—Heavily armed members of the New People’s Army gunned down Thursday a policeman in an attack on a municipal police station in Bukidnon, the military said.

According to Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, an undetermined number of insurgents dressed in military camouflage uniforms gunned down a police officer assigned with Kibawe Municipal Police Station around 5:15 a.m. Thursday.

Reports from Northern Mindanao police regional office said the firefight that lasted for 40 minutes led to the killing of Senior Police Officer 2 Rodelfin Alonzo.

The encounter also left Police Officer 3 Jona Roban, PO2 Johnrey Manigo and PO2 Elizar Lacoste injured.

Zagala said the rebels took from the police seven M16 rifles, three 9mm guns, two-caliber .45 pistols and ammunitions.

After the attack, the guerrillas, boarding seven private vans, sped off towards Tomaras village in Kibawe and Damulog town.

“The NPAs continuously and deliberately conduct harassment and atrocities against government troops who are only doing their job to protect the people and secure a peaceful environment for them to live in,” said Zagala in a statement.

But the AFP said the situation in Kibawe is under control.

As augmentation to the police forces, troops from 403rd Infantry Brigade and 2nd Scout Ranger Battalion were already deployed to conduct blocking operations at Sampaguita and Natulungan villages in Kibawe town.

NPA leader killed in clash in Camarines Sur — ArmyBy Mar S. ArguellesInquirer Southern Luzon2:15 pm | Thursday, December 5th, 2013

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — A ranking New People’s Army (NPA) rebel was killed in a clash between Army troopers and seven guerrillas on Thursday in Barangay Sinuknipan, a remote village in Del Gallego town in Camarines Sur, a Philippine Army officer said.

Killed was Rene Briones alias “Al,” “Singkit” and “Arjun,” a native of Antipolo City, and the alleged regional operation commander of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Bicol Regional Party Committee, said Army Capt. Marjorie Panesa, the public information officer of the 9th Infantry Division.

Panesa said in a phone interview that a squad (14-men) of Army soldiers led by Lt. Howard Ardedon of the 49th Infantry Battalion were on a strike mission at about 4:30 a.m. Thursday, when they engaged the group of NPA led by Briones in a five-minute firefight. The rest of the rebels fled after Briones was killed, he said.

Army soldiers recovered from the fight scene a .45 caliber pistol, a shotgun, two laptop computers, seven cellular phones and two back packs.

Panesa said Briones was in the list of ranking NPA leaders operating in Bicol, adding that his death would be a big blow to the communist organization.

Isabela encounter despite CPP-NPA ceasefire

by Freddie G. LazaroNovember 18, 2013

Camp Melchor F. Dela Cruz, Isabela — Two soldiers and four New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were wounded in a fierce gunbattle in the outskirts of Sitio Lumalog, Barangay Cadsalan, San Mariano, this province last Friday.

A belated report reaching this camp said yesterday that the encounter happened after a unilateral ceasefire was announced by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) upon the government’s declaration of a national state of calamity due to the adverse effects of super-typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: “Haiyan”).

Second Lieutenant Charmaine B. Leonero, officer-in- charge of the Public Affairs Office of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division, said troopers led by 2Lt. Jomar C. Tinio were conducting security patrols when NPA rebels fired at them around 2 p.m. Friday in Sitio Lumalog.

“Our troops conducted the security operation to respond the reports from concerned civilians about the extortion activities of the NPA remnants in their locality,” Leonero said.

During the fierce firefight, soldiers overwhelmed the band of NPA rebels and forced them to retreat.

Civilian witnesses reported at least four rebels, three of them women, wounded in the encounter and that they had boarded a banca by the river.

Leonero identified two soldiers slightly wounded as Corporal Propecio Salmio and Private First Class Jestoni Alisto. They are now recuperating at this camp’s Station Hospital.

“Hot pursuit operations are being conducted by our operating troops to track down the withdrawing NPA rebels to assure safety and protection of the villagers in the area,” she said.

Philippines - ‘Morong 43’ member killed in Bulacan encounter

by Frances Mangosing / Nikko Dizon Tuesday Nov 5th, 2013 10:18 PM

Philippines– A member of the Morong 43 was killed in an encounter with government troops in Bulacan early this month, the military revealed Thursday.

“Good news. It’s confirmed,” Major General Pio Gregorio Catapang of the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command said, adding that Ramon dela Cruz, one of the three members of the New People’s Army killed in an encounter in Doña Remedios Trinidad town, was a member of the Morong 43, a group of suspected communist rebels who claimed to be as alleged health workers.

Based on the military’s photo gallery, the slain Ramon dela Cruz was the same person arrested during a military operation on a residential compound in Morong, Rizal in 2010, he said.

“I think it’s safe to say that this guy who was captured during the Morong incident was an NPA,” Catapang said.

Meanwhile, Brigadier General Hernando Iriberri, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division, also said that three rebels, who used to be with dela Cruz’ group and had already returned to government fold, made a positive identification of the slain insurgent.

“Another confirmatory information is that the parents who claimed his body– Danilo and Rosita dela Cruz- are the same parents listed in the information sheet during his stress debriefing when they were arrested in 2010.

Forty-three suspected communist rebels who claimed they were health workers were arrested in Morong town, Rizal, and were later known as Morong 43.

Government security forces claimed they recovered subversive documents and firearms and accused the supposed health workers of bomb-making activities.

Five of the health workers admitted they were NPA members and availed themselves of the government’s amnesty program. The rest were released after the government withdrew charges against them, with some of them reportedly re-joined their armed comrades.

Eight of the suspected rebels filed torture charges against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and police and military officials. The complaints remain pending before local courts.

Most ‘Morong 43’ members returned to hills

Of the members of the so-called “Morong 43” who had claimed to be health workers wrongly arrested by the Philippine Army last year, 33 of them had reportedly returned to the underground as communist rebels, with one of them ending up shot dead in an encounter with soldiers two weeks ago, the Inquirer learned on Saturday.

A military source told the Inquirer that only Dr. Merry Mia Clamor, health education and training services coordinator for the Council for Health and Development; Dr. Alex Montes, a member of the Community Medicine Development Foundation; midwife Teresa Quinawayan, community health workers Lydia Obera, Delia Ocasia and Reynaldo Macabenta, and nurse Gary Liberal remained as members of “progressive movements.”

Another five had turned witnesses against their comrades.

The source requested anonymity as he was not authorized to disclose the information.

Ramon de la Cruz, one of 33 who returned to the New People’s Army (NPA), was killed in an encounter with Army soldiers and members of

the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Doña Remedios Trinidad town in Bulacan.

The military confirmed that De la Cruz was one of the Morong 43 through his parents, whose names were the same as the ones De la Cruz had given during his interrogation after his arrest in Morong, Rizal, in February 2010, his mugshot following the arrest, and his identification as an NPA member by a rebel returnee.

“It is only sad that they have to die first before people will believe that they are truly NPA members,” Army chief Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes said.

But the lawyer for some members of the Morong 43 did not agree with what he said was the military’s attempt to justify the arrest of his clients and their comrades three years ago.

“At the time the case happened, we were absolutely positive that they were not members of any underground movement or NPAs,” said lawyer Edre Olalia, secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL).

Olalia recalled that one Ramon de la Cruz was among the Morong 43, but he said he would not be able to confirm if this was the same NPA killed in the encounter two weeks ago.

Troops pursue rebels in Cateel encounter

By Ivy C. TejanoFriday, October 4, 2013

TROOPS belonging to the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) launched on Monday pursuit operation against suspected members of

the New People's Army (NPA) whom they encountered in Cateel, Davao Oriental on October 1.

Lieutenant General Ricardo Rainier G. Cruz III, commander of Eastmincom, directed all division commanders under his command to continue their pursuit and security operations in their respective area of responsibility.

Killed during the encounter was identified as Gerald Tagal, 28, believed to be vice chief of the NPA's Sandatahang Yunit Pampropaganda of Guerilla Front (SYPGF) 25, who hails from Barangay Tubo-Tubo in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.

The five wounded soldiers are identified as Sergeant Mario A. Torres, Corporal Zhelmer P. Roquero, Private First Class (Pfc) Gestonie R. Fabale, Pfc. Trifino F Cacdac II, and Pfc. Ronald M. Bulaco.

Captain Raul Villegas, spokesperson for the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said the five soldiers are now undergoing treatment at Camp Panacan Hospital. He added that the soldiers are doing well.

Villegas said the troops were conducting security operations following the report about the presence of the NPA rebels in the area, when they encountered the rebels at around 2 a.m.

The troops also arrested a suspected NPA member identified as Kim Gargar, who is said to be a former Biology professor at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City.

Captain Alberto C. Caber, chief of Eastmincom's Public Information Office, said Gargar was captured by pursuing soldiers after the encounter.

Lieutenant Colonel Krishnamurti A. Mortela, commander of the 67th Infantry Battalion, said Gargar was found comatose, while clutching a rifle 200 meters away from the encounter site in Barangay Aliwagwag.

"The 67th Infantry Battalion had given him (Gargar) first aid, before he was brought to Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital," Mortela said, adding the rebel was then endorsed to the police station after the treatment.

Caber said based on initial reports, Gargar was a professor in UP Diliman from 2000 to 2003; Don Mariano University in Cagayan de Oro City 2003-2005; PUP Sta. Mesa 2006-2007; and Mapua University 2007-2008.

Gargar said he was also doctorate scholar in chronological Biology at University of Groningen in Netherland. He worked with Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) founder Joma Sison.

"Sabi niya (Gargar) he helped the CPP-NPA in their production of several books aimed to exploit the countryside. He joined the NPA in Compostela Valley in 2012 while his wife works as writer of (online news organization) Bulatlat.com," Caber said.

Gargar, on the other hand, was amazed on how he was treated well by the soldiers. He was very cooperative to his captors until he was visited by members of Karapatan group, Caber added.

"Gargar is a good example of how soldiers value and respect human rights," Cruz said.

2 SOLDIERS KILLED IN FRESH ENCOUNTER WITH NPAJune 23, 2013 7:48 pmby WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL

In the absence of peace negotiations between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), separate encounters erupted anew between government security forces and rebel forces, leaving two soldiers dead.

Philippine Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, said that the latest firefight took place on Sunday in Barangay Santa Rosa Sur, Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte between troopers of the 9th Infantry Division (ID) and some 15 heavily armed NPA fighters.

There was no reported casualty on either side but Cabangbang said that the rebels left behind a M16 rifle and three Icom radios.

However, two soldiers from the 4th ID’s 26 Infantry Battalion were killed in an encounter over the weekend with a band of rebels in Sitio Maliwanag, Esperanza town, Agusan del Sur.

Lt. Col. Leo Bongosia, spokesman of the 4th ID, reported that the soldiers were on a routine security patrol when the incident happened.The encounter, he added, lasted for about 15 minutes before the rebels withdrew.

On Thursday, elements of the 8th ID’s 87th Infantry Battalion also encountered some 10 NPA rebels under Southern Samar 1, Samar Provincial Party Committee in Barangay Bugho, Pinabacdao, Samar.

Capt. Amado Gutierrez, spokesman of the 8th ID, said that the encounter resulted in the recovery of a M16 Armalite rifle, a M653 baby Armalite, three loaded AK 47 rifle magazines with 100 extra live ammunition, seven empty M16 magazines, and subversive documents.No casualty was also reported from both sides.

On June 11, two soldiers from the 29th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the 4th ID were also killed while they were conducting hot pursuit operations in the hinterland barangay of San Isidro in Lingao town, Surigao del Sur.

A week before, three members of the 29th IB were also killed by a landmine in Sitio Buhisan, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur while attempting to capture a rebel training camp.

In May, encounters between elements of the 4ID and the NPA also occurred in Barangay San Antonio, Remedios Trinidad Romualdez town, Agusan del Sur; San Miguel, Surigao del Sur and in Bukidnon.

Soldiers wounded in NPA encounter

Posted by Online on Mar 24th, 2012

SURIGAO CITY, Philippines – Five Army soldiers were wounded while undetermined number of rebels were also either killed or wounded when a fierce gun battle erupted Wednesday night between government forces and members of the communist-New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Subang Daan, Barangay Cantugas, Mainit, Surigao del Norte, police reported Friday.

Supt. Martin M. Gamba, regional spokesman of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13), identified the wounded soldiers as Sgt. Dela A. Bano; Pfc.

Steve G. Gapoy; Pvt. April June G. Añasco; Pvt. Ryan B. Corton; and Pvt. Michael D Gonzaga, all of 30th Infantry Battallion (30th IB). They were immediately brought to Surigao hospital for medical treatment.

Gamba said two sections of combat maneuvering troops of the 30th IB led by Lt. Ian Christopher Molina and certain Lt. Mendoza on board 2 KM250 and one KM450 vehicles while en route to their headquarters in Placer town of that same province from security patrol, stepped on an improvised explosive device attached to Surigao del Norte Electric Cooperative electrical post and exploded.

The incident happened at 9:45 in the evening.

After the explosion, a firefight immediately ensued between the elements of the 30th IB and armed group of guerrilla-Front Committee 16 of the CPP-NPA Northeastern Mindanao Regional Party Committee (NEMRPC), Gamba said.

“The firefight lasted for almost 15 minutes and we believed that undetermined number of rebels were either killed or wounded,” claimed Gamba, quoting an initial report from the field.

After the heavy firefight, the rebels who positioned along the hilly portion immediately withdraw to unknown direction.

Responding personnel from Mainit Municipal Police Station (MPS) recovered from the scene of encounter a pair black rubber boots; 8 fired cartridges of calibre 5.56; 6 pieces dry cell battery and assorted length of electrical wires. They are now in custody of Mainit MPS for proper disposition.

Hot pursuit operation is still going on as of this posting.

Earlier, in nearby province of Surigao del Sur, patrolling 3 sections of Army Scout Rangers captured an NPA encampment after a gunbattle in Barangay Lobo, Cantilan town, said Supt. Gamba.

The regional police spokesman said the encampment is composed of 12 bunkers and recovered were 1 unit Carbine rifle; IED detonators with detonating wires; 12 pieces dry cell battery; 1handheld motorola radio; and 3 cellular phones.

Before the capture of the said NPA camp, firefight also ensued and lasted for 20 minutes, until the rebels abandoned their camp and ran away towards west direction.

There was no casualty on the government side while an undetermined casualty on the enemy side, troops from Philippine Army are still conducting clearing operations in the area, added the PRO 13 spokesman. (Mike U. Crismundo)