DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / July 24, 2014) – Government troops and communist rebels clashed on Thursday in Davao City in the southern Philippines, but security officials said there were no reports of casualties on both sides.
Officials said the fighting erupted in the village of Mandug in Buhangin District after civilians reported the presence of New People’s Army rebels.
Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division, said members of the 72nd Infantry Battalion recovered improvised explosives and blasting caps, including assorted ammunition left behind by rebels.
Police forces also joined in the operation to track down the rebels, according to Caber.
He said regional police Wendy Rosario ordered police forces to stay alert and intensify intelligence gathering in Davao City.
Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, chief of the Eastern Mindanao Command, praised the villagers for their cooperation with the military. “The communist rebels continue to violated human rights and the rule of law. If they are really sincere about peace, why do they continue manufacturing improvised explosives? Our security forces will not stop its operations against those who threatened the peace in the community,” he said.
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