NPA rebels harass caravan in Albay

MANILA, Philippines - Communist rebels recently harassed a countryside development caravan in Albay but failed to disrupt the activity, the military said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Domingo Gobway, acting spokesman of the Armed Forces Southern Luzon Command, said the caravans were held in five villages of Camalig town and involved different agencies.

“Soldiers and other government agencies that joined the caravan were harassed with gunshots at Barangay Manilala, Camalig, Albay but still went on with the activity after government security immediately pursued the rebels,” he said.

No one was reported hurt during the incident.

Southern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Caesar Ordoyo said they are prepared to thwart efforts by the rebels to disrupt development in the region.

“The people are already tired of the NPA (New People’s Army) hampering the economic development of the country. They have practically sabotaged our development for four decades already,” Ordoyo said.

“We cannot allow these bandits to terrorize communities and hamper our daily lives. We must put a stop to this menace and support government efforts in bringing social services to the communities,” he added.

Gobway said the caravan seeks to curb poverty, which has been regarded as the root cause of social unrest and rebellion.

The caravan provided medical and dental services, food, haircut and other social services.

Albay is located in the Bicol region, an area with huge concentration of NPA rebels.

The strength of the communist rebels stood at about 4,000 as of end-June, virtually unchanged over the last three years, based on latest military data.