Full alert level up over Caraga after NPA attacks
BUTUAN CITY – All police and military units spread all over northeastern Mindanao, or the Caraga region, have been put on “full alert level” as communist-New People’s Army (NPA) rebels stepped up offensives in some parts of the region.
The regional command of Northeastern Mindanao Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) and Advance Command Post (ACP) of the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao Fourth Infantry (Diamond) Division (4th ID) placed all their units in “offensive mode” to stop the atrocities reportedly being perpetrated by the Communist insurgents.
The “full alert” level status was ordered after an undetermined number of heavily armed NPA rebels harassed the patrol base of the Second Maneuver Company of the 13th Regional Public Safety Battallion (2nd MC, 13th RPSB) at 9:50 a.m. on Tuesday in Sitio Little Baguio, Barangay Crossing, Kitcharao, Agusan del Norte.
The 2nd MC, 13th RPSB, under Insp. Jefferson E. Reyes, and “Bravo Company” of the 29th Infantry Battalion (29th IB), under Second Lt. Geoffrey Escanlar, were able to repulse the attack after a 65-minute gun battle.
The rebels later withdrew towards the northeast in the direction of the mountainous area of Little Baguio in Kicharao.
“No casualty on the government side while undetermined number on the enemy (NPA) side,” initial field report received by the PRO 13 tactical command and action center based at Camp Rafael C. Rodriguez here alleged.
In San Luis, Agusan del Sur, at around noon, a plan by rebels belonging to the guerilla-Front Committee 88 to attack military detachments in the areas was foiled by the 26th Infantry Battalion (26th IB).
An insurgent was killed in the hourlong encounter.
According to Second Lt. Rommel Arnado, 26th IB Civil Military Operations (CMO) officer, retreated to forested areas in Barangay Mahagsay and also left behind an M14 rifle, an AK 47 rifle, live ammunitions, six backpacks containing personal belongings, medical supplies, including assorted medicines and antigovernment documents, some of them with high intelligence value.
At 11 a.m., also on Tuesday, an undetermined number of heavily armed men believed to be NPA members set up a road block for more than 30 minutes along the national highway in Sitio Banga, Purok 2, Barangay Cuyago, Jabonga, Agusan del Norte creating panic among commuters, police report said.
While conducting the road blockade, the NPAs also burned a van loaded with cigarettes and a truck, which was carrying empty bottles of beer.
The vehicles were traveling from Surigao City to Butuan City when flagged down by some 30 armed men, believed to be members of NPA, who burned the van and truck in Sitio Banga, which was only about 10 kilometers from the Jabonga Municipal Police Station (MPS) of Agusan del Norte Police Provincial Office (PPO).
On Monday afternoon, NPA rebels also abducted 2 policemen while working their beat in Barangay Bad-as, Placer town, Surigao del Norte. Their fate was still not known as of press time.
Also on Monday, suspected NPA rebels ambushed a convoy belonging to the Surigao del Norte Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) in Barangay Trinidad, Surigao City.
The ambush occurred around 5 p.m. when elements of Surigao del Norte PMFC led by its commander Supt. Diomedes Cuadra Jr., were en route to Surigao City. No one was hurt in the incident, police report also added.
Meanwhile, the 4th ID also took the NPA to task for the death of an infant and a policeman in an ambush last November 9 in Barangay Tikalaan, Talakag town, Bukidnon.