One NPA killed in military encounter anew in Zamboanga del Sur

 

By Jong Cadion

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur (February 20, 2017 ) – One (1) member of the New Peoples Army (NPA) was killed in encounter between the troops of 53^rd Infantry Battalion, Saturday February 18 at 11:30 in the morning in Sitio Lanayan, Purok 3, Barangay Gasa, municipality of Lakewood of this province.

53^rd IB Commander LtCol. Virgilio Hamos Jr disclosed that the troops of Charlie Company led by 1LT Rhoderick H. Alcantara encountered about thirty (30) New People’s Army (NPA) rebels resulted to one (1) NPA member killed, recovery of one (1) cal. 38 revolver with defaced serial number and ammunitions, subversive documents, personal belongings and several foodstuffs while troops from the government side were unscathed.

LtCol. Hamos added that the military action was in response to the reports by residents of Sitio Lanayan of forced collection of revolutionary taxes by the NPA led by Roger Maghinay aka “Marlon” and Jonathan Cruz aka “Nathan”—the military and political leaders of the communist’s SYP KARA, a guerrilla unit operating in the province.

Hamos said the NPA member killed is still unidentified as of this writing but is noticeably young about 16 years old. He stands about 5’0”, medium built and has fair complexion. His remains is now in Gamalinda Funeral Homes in Barangay Tubod, Lakewood waiting for any family member to claim.

LtCol. Hamos said that the encounter site was a temporary encampment of the NPA that can accommodate at least thirty (30) persons. Said site is believed to be used as training area based on the wooden structures made by the rebels such as kitchen, lecture area, bathing area and guard posts.

Sitio Lanayan is a subanen community situated six (6) kilometers north of Barangay Gasa, Lakewood and three (3) kilometers northwest of Barangay Lison Valley, Pagadian City and can only be accessed by foot. The residents’ livelihood rely on upland rice and corn farming and labor services during planting and harvest season in the vast rice fields of Barangay Lison Valley.

Hamos added, based in their initial investigation that according to their tribal leaders, Timuay Gawason Balibis and Timuay Dangkel Becsala, the NPA rebels stayed in the vicinity of Sitio Lanayan and other neighboring communities near the municipal boundaries of Bayog, Lakewood and Midsalip since October of the previous year during the unilateral ceasefire between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF). The timuays added that the rebels recruited able-bodied boys and girls, including minors, to join the NPA promising them a monthly salary of ten thousand pesos (Php 10,000.00) and other monetary benefits to their immediate family but eventually were not given to their members fully and regularly.

Based on the conversations of the residents with Jonathan Cruz, the NPA will still continue to strengthen their ranks and firepower even with the peace negotiations ongoing. Cruz, an NPA cadre from Davao region, told the residents that they will have the edge to demand and own enormous areas of land if the rebel movement will grow stronger. However as they stayed longer in the periphery of their sitio, collection of the rebels’ revolutionary tax levelled up wherein residents have to contribute to the logistical requirements such as food, clothing, medicines and ammunitions of the group including their new recruits. The residents even have to contribute their harvest and livestock during the celebration of the 48^th Anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) held in their sitio on the later part of December 2016. These circumstances urged the residents to report the presence of the group to the 53^rd IB.

Hamos said, with the persistent reports of extortion from the locals and the lifting of Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) against the NPA last February 3, 53^rd IB immediately launched offensive operations to isolate the communities from the extortion activities of the communist rebels. An armed engagement was immediately tallied by elements of the Bravo Company led by 1LT Justin Michael C. Rabino in the boundary of Puroks 3 and 4 of Barangay Mate, Tigbao on February 8 against at least ten (10) NPA rebels leaving behind their personal belongings and subversive documents. According to the residents, an NPA member was wounded during that said encounter.

Hamos expressed his sadness to the death of the young man. “His death was unnecessary because he was one of the many young locals enticed by the empty promises of the CPP-NPA-NDF that use minors to fill in their ranks. In fact, their members only serve as pawns of high-ranking communist leaders who receive large amount of money from their collection of revolutionary taxes and extortion to businessmen, politicians and contractors,” he said. He urged all Zambosurians to unite and take necessary actions to stop the activities of the NPA that aim to deprive development to a particular community. “It’s a cycle. Kung maraming naghihirap sa kabundukan, marami silang mare-recruit kasi nalilinlang nila ang mga tao na pinapabayaan sila ng gobyerno. Kaya ayaw talaga nila na umuunlad ang isang lugar at isa ito sa mga dahilan kung bakit nila sinusunog ang mga heavy equipment na gumagawa ng mga projects sa mga barangay o sitio,” he added. “The goal of our military actions is to isolate the communities within our area of operation from the presence of the NPA in order to prevent them from hampering the livelihood of the locals and eventually facilitate the delivery of developmental projects by the LGUs,” further explained LTC Hamos.