2 Army officers killed in NPA attacks

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A Philippine Army officer and an enlisted soldier were killed yesterday morning in an ambush by suspected New People’s Army rebels in Kilometer 15, Barangay Dagohoy, Talaingod.

According to Col. Domingo Tutaan Jr., deputy commander of the Army’s 1003rd Infantry Brigade, the victims were ambushed at around 10:30 a.m. yesterday morning by members of the NPA’s guerrilla front 35 of its Southern Mindanao Regional Command.

However, the identities of the victims were withheld pending proper notice to be sent to their families.

“It was a non-combat mission. There was really an act of treachery. It was an ambush because the two were in civilian clothes and were on a motorcycle on their way to check on the reported arrival of villagers who were said to have evacuated to safer grounds because of the presence of armed men in their area,” Tutaan said.

The Talaingod incident yesterday was actually preceded by another landmine attack Sunday night in Sitio Bisay, Barangay Bantawan, Baganga, Davao Oriental that led to the instantaneous death of another officer whose identity was also withheld by the military.

The wounded soldiers were identified as Private First Class (PFC) Marvin Parreno, PFC Paul John Fornis and Private Jerry Lagayan. They are currently recuperating at the Camp Panacan Station Hospital here in Davao City.

The victims in the Baganga incident reportedly responded to claims by local residents regarding the presence of NPA guerrillas in Sitio Bisay.

And just as the elements of the 67th Infantry Battalion arrived in the area, they stepped on pressurized rigged claymore mine that was believed to have been earlier planted by the communists operating in Barangay Bantawan.

Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, commander of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division immediately ordered a massive pursuit operation against the NPA rebels in both the Talaingod and Baganga incidents.

Mapagu said that the incidents did not affect the morale of the operating troops but that they have instead become more aggressive and committed to punish the perpetrators.

“The CPP-NPA is losing in every front, they are losing their mass support in the barangays and they are struggling with issues from within and from the public as they are facing issues of corruption, criminality, killings, sexual opportunism and power struggle among their ranks,” Mapagu said.