DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Aug. 1, 2012) – Communist insurgents ambushed Wednesday a group of patrolling soldiers and killing one of them in Davao City in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said New People’s Army rebels detonated an improvised explosive as troops were passing a village in Paquibato district. The attack sparked a fire fight between the two groups, but it was not immediately known if there were casualties on the side of the NPA.
Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division, said the rebels planted the explosive on a road where civilians frequently use.
“Though we were saddened by the incident, this will not wane our efforts in winning peace in Davao,” Paniza said.
He also assailed various human rights groups for their failure to condemn the atrocities committed by rebels, but is quick to accuse the military of human rights violations every time there is fighting or operations against the NPA and other rebel groups.
“It’s high time for them to act now and give justice to the victims of criminality especially that the use of landmines is a clear violation of the human rights agreement between the government and the rebels,” Paniza said.
There was no immediate statement from the NPA, which has been fighting for decades to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
20