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BY RUBY P. SILUBRICO
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Friday, February 3, 2017
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ILOILO City – New People’s Army (NPA) rebels fired guns in the hinterland barangay of Boloc in Tubungan, Iloilo some 250 meters away from where Philippine Army soldiers were staying.
The bursts of gunfire heard around 12:25 a.m. on Wednesday was carried out hours after the NPA leadership announced it was lifting its unilateral ceasefire on Feb. 10, alleging continued military atrocities across the country.
According to Lieutenant Colonel Vener Morga of the Philippine Army’s 82nd Infantry Battalion, his men found five empty bullet shells of an M16 armalite rifle from where the rebels were believed to have fired their guns.
The gunfire upset residents of Barangay Boloc, Morga told Panay News in a telephone interview.
An hour after the Tubungan incident, residents of Barangay Osorio, San Remegio, Antique also heard bursts of gunfire. These were believed to have been done by the rebels, too.
The area where the rebels were believed to have fired their guns was some 500 meters away from where soldiers were staying.
Five empty bullet shells of an M16 armalite rifle were recovered.
Morga believed the rebels did not have plans to harm the solders. Still, the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division based in Jamindan, Capiz sent additional troops to Tubungan and San Remegio.
Rebels belonging to the NPA’s Southern Front Committee were likely responsible for the gunfire, said Morga.
But despite the NPA’s announcement that it would end its interim ceasefire by 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 10, the Armed Forces of the Philippines clarified yesterday that the suspension of military operation (SOMO) stays.
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the government’s own unilateral ceasefire in August last year to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks with communist rebels.
Prior to the NPA decision to lift its unilateral ceasefire, the insurgents conducted a series of attacks against civilian and military targets in Batangas, Isabela, Bukidnon, Compostela Valley, Sarangani, Agusan Del Norte, and Surigao Del Norte last Jan. 29 and 30, according to AFP public affairs office chief Colonel Edgard Arevalo.
The unprovoked attacked killed two soldiers and wounded three others and resulted in the abduction of one.
“The SOMO stays. There will be no combat operations to be launched against the members of the NPA,” said Arevalo.
This is because the military believes in and would want to give peace a chance, he explained.
“We will continue to perform peace-building and development efforts where the people in conflict areas request us to. We will continue to capacitate local government to deliver basic goods and services to their constituents,” stressed Arevalo.
In the same vein, Arevalo said the AFP will continue to safeguard the communities from criminal acts of extortion, burning of vehicles, farm and livelihood implements and other forms of criminal and atrocious acts – whoever is the perpetrator.
“And if ordered by the Commander-in-Chief, we will lift the SOMO. It is our beholden duty to protect our citizens,” he added. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
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