From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 19): Army deploys air support to ground forces in Agusan pursuing NPA rebels
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City -- The military has deployed helicopter gunships to cover the Army’s ground forces in hot pursuit of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the mountains of Agusan Del Sur, a military officer said on Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Leo E. Bongosia, spokesperson of the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division, said that some 50 fully-armed NPA rebels on Tuesday morning stormed the Shannalyne Incorporated, a Singaporean-owned corporation in Barangay Hawilian in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
He said the rebels killed five civilians who served as unarmed watchmen of the compound before burning five heavy equipment units that include a bulldozer and a tractor.
The names of the victims were not immediately available, Bongosia added.
Bongosia said, the military has deployed ground forces backed by helicopter gunships in pursuing the rebels who fled toward the mountainous areas of Agusan del Sur after the attacked.
He said that the NPA waged a punitive action of the company for its alleged failure to pay the “revolutionary taxes” demanded by the communist insurgents.
The Shannalyne Incorporation, a non-government organization developed a large portion of the land in Esperanza by cultivating Acacia Mangium, a plantation species trees, whose raw materials is use for currency notes.
Bongosia said that the local government of Esperanza supported the corporation since it has constructed roads and other community-based projects that benefited the tribal natives in the area.
He said the firm is employing more than 200 members of the tribal community in Agusan del Sur since it started operation in the area two years ago.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=535900
CAMP EVANGELISTA, Cagayan de Oro City -- The military has deployed helicopter gunships to cover the Army’s ground forces in hot pursuit of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the mountains of Agusan Del Sur, a military officer said on Wednesday.
Lt. Col. Leo E. Bongosia, spokesperson of the Army’s Fourth Infantry Division, said that some 50 fully-armed NPA rebels on Tuesday morning stormed the Shannalyne Incorporated, a Singaporean-owned corporation in Barangay Hawilian in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur.
He said the rebels killed five civilians who served as unarmed watchmen of the compound before burning five heavy equipment units that include a bulldozer and a tractor.
The names of the victims were not immediately available, Bongosia added.
Bongosia said, the military has deployed ground forces backed by helicopter gunships in pursuing the rebels who fled toward the mountainous areas of Agusan del Sur after the attacked.
He said that the NPA waged a punitive action of the company for its alleged failure to pay the “revolutionary taxes” demanded by the communist insurgents.
The Shannalyne Incorporation, a non-government organization developed a large portion of the land in Esperanza by cultivating Acacia Mangium, a plantation species trees, whose raw materials is use for currency notes.
Bongosia said that the local government of Esperanza supported the corporation since it has constructed roads and other community-based projects that benefited the tribal natives in the area.
He said the firm is employing more than 200 members of the tribal community in Agusan del Sur since it started operation in the area two years ago.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=535900