1st PBC defeats Army in ambush, claims 22 casualties

RED fighters belonging to the New People’s Army 1st Pulang Bagani Company routed a platoon of the 69th Infantry Battalion, killing 12 troopers and wounding 10 others, last June 17, 2015 at about 3:40pm in Sitio Pag-asa, Barangay Paquibato Proper, Davao City.

The recent NPA ambush was a just retaliation and revolutionary justice to the victims of the 69th IB’s system of atrocities, harassment and sheer terror in the civilian populace of Paquibato. The most recent of such atrocities was the Army unit’s brutal strafing of the house of peasant leader Aida Seisa which injured her 12-year-old child and which killed three civilians who were her house guests of her daughter’s birthday celebration.

Despite strong condemnation of the massacre from many quarters, the 69th IB has cowardly maintained it was a legitimate encounter and has made the ridiculous lie that they were serving a warrant of arrest midnight of June 14. The Army viciously presented the civilian victims as armed NPA guerrillas in the village during the daylight following the massacre. In a mockery of justice, the 69th IB and the 10th ID-AFP has charged the victims of trumped-up cases.

Under Aquino’s Oplan Bayanihan Peace and Development Outreach Program or PDOP, peasants and Lumads in Paquibato have had no rest from this killer battalion which used to be under General Jovito “The Butcher” Palparan of the 7th ID but is currently under the operational command of the 10th ID.

For as long as these injustices remain, the NPA shall continue to defend the masses and realize revolutionary justice.

During the June 17 ambush, 2 NPA guerrillas of the 1st Pulang Bagani Command were martyred: Ka Jan-jan and Ka Marlo. To them we pay our highest and most profound tribute. They will remain as our wellspring of inspiration and hope. (sgd.) Rigoberto F. Sanchez Spokesperson Southern Mindanao Regional Command

June 21, 2015