Army: NPA “terrorizing” Negros

The New People’s Army is bent on terrorizing Negros Island Region, said Major General Jon Aying, commander of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Six policemen and a civilian died on Friday in separate attacks initiated by the NPA in Barangay Magsaysay, Guihulngan, Negros Oriental. Three policemen and two civilians were also hurt, military records showed.

Aying said the attempt of the NPA to kill Guihulngan City Councilor Eddie Dela Rita and the inhumane killing of the six policemen and a civilian is a clear manifestation of their true intent of terrorizing Negros Island, to prove that peace and development is far from realization.

Colonel Eliezer Losañes, commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, said, “this barbaric act will not go unpunished.”

“We will continue to conduct pursuit operation to give justice to our law enforcers who are simply performing their duties,” he said.

“These actions of the NPA simply show their true nature, that they are indeed terrorists and that they continue to deceive the people to advance their selfish interest,” he added.

Dela Rita who was initially reported as missing and his driver survived and were under police custody. However, the councilor’s bodyguard, Michael Jambalos was killed, said Senior Insp. Armilyn Vargas, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-18.

Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo has condemned the attacks but said these were isolated cases and that Negros Oriental remains generally peaceful.

Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino also called for a deeper investigation into the motive of the reported ambush of Guihulngan Councilor Edison Dela Rita who survived the incident that led to the death and wounding of responding policemen.

“OPAV is ready to assist the families of our policemen who were killed and wounded. My sympathies go to the fallen heroes who gave their lives for the service,” Dino said.

Degamo said the provincial government will also look into providing assistance to the families of those killed and those wounded in the ambush.

Supt. Arnel Arpon, Guihulngan City police chief, one of the six policemen who died in the ambush, used to be assigned as police chief of Bago and Sipalay cities in Negros Occidental before he took up a career advancement course, for his promotion to the rank of senior superintendent.

The other policemen killed were SPO2 Mecasio Tabilon, SPO1 Jesael Ancheta, SPO2 Chavic Agosto, and PO2s Alfredo Dunque, and Alvin Bulandres. Wounded were PO3 Jordan Balderas, PO2 Jorie Maribao, and SPO4 Jerome Delara, Dela Rita, and his driver.

The two incidents took place as the Communist Party of the Philippines ordered tactical offensives against government forces following plans of President Rodrigo Duterte to extend martial law in Mindanao for another five months.

Yesterday, Congress voted to extend martial law in Mindanao until December.

Before the ambush in Guihulngan, the NPA in central and northern Negros claimed responsibility for the ambush of a sugar planter and his driver in Calatrava, the liquidation of a former Army soldier in Canlaon City and a leader of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army in Salvador Benedicto.

Col. Eliezer Losañes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, recalled that Dela Rita was among those being targeted for liquidation by the NPA, and his name was found in documents recovered during an encounter with communist rebels in the province last month.

The Guihulngan City Police Station where Arpon served as police chief and the police stations of Himamaylan and Kabankalan cities in Negros Occidental are also among the targets of attack, the seized documents showed.

Arpon led a group of 15 policemen who tried to rescue Dela Rita and his two companions but they were ambushed by about 60 suspected NPA rebels armed with high powered weapons, Losañes said.

It was a certain Edward Jimenez, a local government employee, who reported to the Guihulngan City Police Station that Dela Rita was ambushed in the barangay, a Police Regional Office-18 report showed.

Aying said the NPA atrocities will continue if security forces and the public will not be vigilant. He also revealed that there are some politicians who are helping the rebel group to get even with their political opponents.

The 303rd Infantry Brigade and the Regional Public Safety Battalion-18 have already shifted some of their troops to central Negros, to help in the conduct of pursuit operations against the rebel ambushers.

Two years ago, the provinces of Negros Occidental and Oriental were both declared as peaceful and ready for further development by their respective provincial governments, and concurred in by the Philippine Army.

EXTORTION

The Army's 3rd Infantry Division is calling private companies victimized by the extortion activities of the NPA to cooperate with authorities.

“It is the duty of law enforcement agencies such as the Army and the PNP to protect the interest and investment of private companies, but we cannot address the situation if they will not give their support to the authorities,” Maj. Gen. Jon Aying, 3ID commanding general, said.

Aying said numerous construction companies involved in building bridges, water systems and farm to market roads, have received extortion letters from the CPPNPA. He added that the NPA threatened to burn equipment of construction firms and sabotage their operations if they ignore their demands.

Private companies should also invest in security, Aying said.

The extortion modus of the CPP-NPA is aimed at supporting their logistical requirements to conduct more terroristic activities, sowing fear in the hearts and minds of the masses and, unfortunately, some construction firms have given in to the NPA demands, Aying added.

In Cebu, Central Command Spokesperson, Colonel Medel Aguilar, said the province remains to be safe.

“The same status remained, wala tayong nakikitang activities ng kabila dito, but we are doing all the precautionary actions. Kami ay nandito lang para harapin ang mga threat kapag nandito sila,” he said.