PAGADIAN CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Apr. 22, 2013) – Communist insurgents took responsibility in the killing of two political campaigners in a firefight that left a southern Philippine mayor wounded, and vowed to continue implementing its revolutionary policies and to ensure the peaceful conduct of election campaign in so-called “guerrilla zones” in the region.
The New People’s Army also apologized for the April 20 clash that wounded Gingoog City Mayor Ruthie Guingona and killed her two campaigners and said her bodyguards rammed a checkpoint set up by rebels and fired on them, sparking a clash. The political matriarch was heading home from a beauty pageant when the firefight broke out.
Alan Juanito, a spokesman for the New People’s Army in Northern Mindanao, said blamed the politician’s police escorts for the violence. Despite the incident, He said they will continue to put up checkpoints in the implementation of revolutionary policies and to ensure the peaceful conduct of election campaign in guerrilla zones.
“We offer condolences and express our deepest sympathy for the bereaved families of Bartolome Velasco and Nestor Velasco, who were both killed in the incident. Contrary to reports that the incident was an ambush, it started when Mayor Guingona’s armed escorts fired upon an NPA checkpoint in Capitulangan village,” he said.
“The lead vehicle of Mayor Guingona’s convoy rammed against the bamboo roadblock mounted by the Red fighters while her escorts opened fire at the NPAs flagging down the convoy. The Red fighters immediately returned fire in self defense.”
“We wish to reiterate our warning to all candidates who are campaigning in guerrilla zones to avoid carrying firearms or armed escorts to avoid the occurrence of similar incident in the future,” he said.
He said NPA units were carrying out orders from the Regional Command to implement the revolutionary policies regarding the conduct of elections and to flag down candidates and campaigners who carry firearms and armed escorts during their campaign sorties in guerrilla zones ahead of the May 13 local and national polls.
Juanito said the NPA earlier phoned Guingona and reminded her to avoid bringing armed escorts during campaign sorties in Gingoog. Along time politician, who belongs to a powerful political dynasty is now on her last term, but is campaigning for her daughter, Marie, whom she is grooming to take her place. Guingona is the wife of former Vice President Teofisto Guingona and mother of Senator Teofisto Guingona III.
The NPA has been fighting for decades now for the establishment of a separate state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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