From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 11): Military, NPA clashes anew in Misamis Oriental
Fresh fighting erupted anew in the hinterlands of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental Thursday afternoon, the military reported on Friday.
Capt. Christian Uy, spokesperson of the army’s Public Affairs Division (PAD) here, said that elements of the army’s 58th Infantry Battalion was on combat patrol when they encountered a group of Communist New People’s Army (NPA)rebels in the farming village of Banglay in Lagonglong, Thursday afternoon.
“Contrary to reports, the military did not suffer any casualty in the ensuing firefight that lasted only for more than three minutes,” Uy said as he denied the military suffered two casualties.
He said that the presence of the military caught the NPA rebels by surprise that they (rebels) simply fired their guns elsewhere and hastily retreated towards the hinterlands.
Uy said the combat patrol initiated by the military in the hinterlands has become routine in response to report by the civilians about the presence of unidentified groups in their areas.
He said that the hinterlands of Lagonglong and Salay, all of Misamis Oriental, have been identified as places where the armed communist rebels have frequent sightings.
“We want to make sure that the civilian populace are secured in places where the presence of NPA rebels are frequently reported,” Uy added.
He said that the morale of the communist NPA rebels has plummeted following the recent arrest of Benito Tiamzon, chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and his wife Wilma in a safe house in the Central Visayasprovince of Cebu
As a result, the NPA rebels have been reported to be resorting to terror attacks on a nationwide scale, prompting the military to be on a heightened alert at all times, Uy said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=634535
Fresh fighting erupted anew in the hinterlands of Lagonglong, Misamis Oriental Thursday afternoon, the military reported on Friday.
Capt. Christian Uy, spokesperson of the army’s Public Affairs Division (PAD) here, said that elements of the army’s 58th Infantry Battalion was on combat patrol when they encountered a group of Communist New People’s Army (NPA)rebels in the farming village of Banglay in Lagonglong, Thursday afternoon.
“Contrary to reports, the military did not suffer any casualty in the ensuing firefight that lasted only for more than three minutes,” Uy said as he denied the military suffered two casualties.
He said that the presence of the military caught the NPA rebels by surprise that they (rebels) simply fired their guns elsewhere and hastily retreated towards the hinterlands.
Uy said the combat patrol initiated by the military in the hinterlands has become routine in response to report by the civilians about the presence of unidentified groups in their areas.
He said that the hinterlands of Lagonglong and Salay, all of Misamis Oriental, have been identified as places where the armed communist rebels have frequent sightings.
“We want to make sure that the civilian populace are secured in places where the presence of NPA rebels are frequently reported,” Uy added.
He said that the morale of the communist NPA rebels has plummeted following the recent arrest of Benito Tiamzon, chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and his wife Wilma in a safe house in the Central Visayas
As a result, the NPA rebels have been reported to be resorting to terror attacks on a nationwide scale, prompting the military to be on a heightened alert at all times, Uy said.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=634535