Philippines: NPA offensives intensify against Philippine Army troops in Comval, Davao Oriental

 

 

 

In the last two months, NPA Red fighters engaged AFP troops 4 times in Baganga; once in Trento, Agusan del Sur; once in Compostela; and conducted 3 sniping operations and one harassment operation, all resulting to platoon-sized fatalities and platoon-sized casualties against the AFP.

 

MEDIA RELEASES
By ROEL AGUSTIN
Spokesperson, Comval Davao EastCoast Subregional Command
NPA Southern Mindanao
13 October 2014

While on the road early morning Sunday (12 October 2014), combat troops of the Alpha company, 66^th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, mercilessly killed farmer Rolando Dagansan, 43 years old, and his son Juda, 15, in Tubod, Manurigao, New Bataan town, Compostela Valley. The two Mandaya Lumads came from harvesting corn in their farm in Kabityan and were on their way to their home in Taytayan at 3:00 am when the soldiers attacked them. Their bodies were badly disfigured with so many gunshot wounds; their heads were defaced while Rolando’s arm was amputated.

They were killed by a ruthless Army unit who concealed its fascist operations by using as pretext a purported medical mission in Manurigao.

Thus, it is only fitting that the tactical offensives launched by the New People’s Army Comval Davao Eastcoast Subregional Command on that same day is revolutionary justice for the Dagansans and other victims of military fascism, like Gregorio Amancio who was killed by the 66^th Infantry Battalion inside his house on 19 July 2014 in New Bataan town. 

At 10:45 pm on 12 October, the NPA discharged command-detonated explosives at the 66^th Infantry Battalion headquarters in New Bataan, Compostela Valley, while another NPA unit ambushed soldiers belonging to the 67^th Infantry Battalion in Kasunugan, Brgy. Mahan-ub, Baganga, Davao Oriental. Five soldiers were killed and two M16 armalite rifles were seized by the NPA in these two ambushes. Earlier, on 11 October, at 10:35 pm, the NPA harassed the 67^th Infantry Battalion patrol base in Cogonon, Trento town, where two soldiers were killed.

The NPA’s offensives give lie to the pronouncement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that the fascist troops are already done in clearing Davao Oriental and some parts of Compostela Valley of the revolutionary movement. Red fighters have engaged the 67^th Infantry Battalion four times in Baganga; once in Trento, Agusan del Sur; once in Compostela; and conducted three sniping operations and one harassment operation, all resulting to platoon-sized fatalities and (additional) platoon-sized casualties against the AFP unit over the last few months.

Last Sunday’s NPA tactical offensives are only the latest in the series of offensives against the relentless military operations of the 66^th and 67^th Infantry Battalions:

• On September 22, the NPA detonated explosives against the reconnaissance platoon of the 25^th Infantry Battalion at 3:00 am in Upper Ambawan, Barangay (village) Ngan, Compostela. Four soldiers were killed while the military vehicle KM450 was badly damaged. Another soldier belonging to the road security unit of the Petroleum Mining Corporation was killed by an NPA sniper in sitio Mambusao, Barangay Ngan, Compostela;
• On September 24 at 10:00 pm, two soldiers belonging to the 72^nd Infantry Battalion and (paramilitary) CAA detachment were killed by NPA snipers in Barangay Tapia, Monkayo, and at 11:00 pm in Barangay Maparat, Compostela;
• On September 26 at 9:00 am, the NPA encountered 67^th Infantry Battalion troops in sitio Borboanan, Barangay Kampawan, Baganga, Davao Oriental; four fascist troops were killed and two were wounded.
• On September 27 at 2:00 pm, the NPA burned a detachment of the 67^th Infantry Battalion in km. 28, Barangay Panansalan, Compostela

As warfare intensifies in Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental provinces, and because the US-Aquino regime is adamant in pushing for the large-scale mining operations in these areas, the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command augmented its troops in the towns of Compostela, New Bataan and Baganga. Ironically, while boasting to have crushed the NPA in these areas, the AFP has deployed 100 more soldiers from the 11^th company of the 4^th Scout Rangers Battalion -- proof of its desperation to prevail over its failures against the Red fighters and revolutionary forces.

The AFP is daydreaming if it can obliterate the NPA and stifle strong opposition of revolutionary forces and the masses against large-scale mining. As more battalions are poured in the impoverished and Typhoon Pablo-ravaged areas of Comval and Davao Oriental under the Oplan Bayanihan, the people's army escalates further its tactical offensives. Likewise, the revolutionary masses are ever prepared to intensify the people’s war against a fascist, corrupt and hated US-Aquino regime.