4 soldiers killed in Agusan ambush

MANILA, Philippines - Four soldiers died after they were ambushed by a group of communist insurgents in Agusan del Sur on Wednesday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said.

In a text message, Maj. Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the AFP Eastern Mindanao Command, said the incident happened in Barangay La Fortuna in the municipality of Veruela.

He said that two squads from the 26th Infantry Battalion and 4th Civil Military Operations Battalion were on board two military trucks coming from a meeting with local residents when the attack happened.

“(The squads) were ambushed by more or less 20 New People’s Army members belonging to the Guerilla Front-3, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee,” Cabangbang said.

“A firefight ensued for almost 30 minutes before the communist terrorists withdrew. The incident resulted to four killed in action,” he added.

Cabangbang identified the four casualties as Lt. Isagani Villasis, Ssg. Jose Balaba, Pfc. Alejandro Dao and Pvt. Zen Stephen Cloma. The four were rushed to the Plaza Memorial Hospital but were declared dead on arrival.

Wounded were Ssg. Edesio Escalante, Pfc. Julius Bolotano and an official only identified as Msg. Fernandez.

Cabangbang said a 10-year-old civilian identified as Rosegin Tamonan was wounded after she was caught in the crossfire. She is being treated in the Plaza Memorial Hospital.

Meanwhile, the AFP-Civil Relations Service (CRS) yesterday called on the local government units (LGUs) to play amore active role in fighting communist insurgency.

In a statement, AFP-CRS Brig. Gen. Francisco Cruz said the LGUs and the military should work together to promote development and to address the root causes of rebellion.

“The insurgency problem in the country can never be solved by employing military strategy alone but rather requires a more holistic government approach to address the root causes of insurgency not just its symptoms,” he said.

The military has claimed that the membership of the communist movement in the Philippines has dwindled to just 4,702 last year from a peak of 25,000 in 1987. 

The government has set a June 30, 2010 deadline for ending communist insurgency in the country.         – Alexis Romero