DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 23, 2014) – Four civilians in a police car were wounded in a roadside bombing set off by communist rebels on Friday in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley, the army said.
It said the four men – Felix Cudilla, Criz Palumar, Ogie Furtaleza and Gaga Mariputin – were on their way to the village of Upper Ulip in Monkayo town where New People’s Army rebels earlier torched a backhoe excavator owned by Candido Balunos.
The army said the victims were on to investigate the attack when rebels detonated the bomb and hitting the police car. It was not immediately known if they were with a group of policemen, but the army said Cudilla was driving the prowl car when it was attacked.
Troops were deployed to pursue the attackers.
The attack occurred a day after rebels also bombed an army unit in the village of Dagohoy in Davao del Norte’s Talaingod town and killing three soldiers who were members of the Scout Ranger. Several more were wounded in the attack, according to Aris Francisco, a spokesman for the NPA forces operating in the provinces of Compostela Valley, Davao and Agusan.
The soldiers were sent to track down NPA rebels who captured an infantryman, Corporal Rogelio Rosales, who is a member of the 60th Infantry Battalion operating in Davao and Compostela Valley provinces.
Rosales, who had been captured on May 3 in the village of Florida in Kapalong town, was freed by rebels two weeks later after Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte helped negotiate for the soldier’s freedom.
Last month, NPA rebels also released army Sergeant Jeric Curay, who was captured at a checkpoint in the village of Andap in Compostela Valley’s Laak town on April 4. Curay, a member of the 72nd Infantry Battalion, was also handed over to Duterte, who negotiated with the NPA for prisoner’s safe release.
The NPA has been fighting for decades now for the establishment of its own communist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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