Philippines: Support to the People's War conducted by New People's Army and lead by Communist Party of the Philippines

NPA ambushes abusive Davao City Army unit, hitting 9 casualties

MT. APO SUB-REGIONAL OPERATIONS COMMAND / NEW PEOPLE'S ARMY

OCTOBER 10, 2018 

In desperation to perpetuate itself in power, it is expected that the US-Duterte regime will use all sinister means, not least conspiracy theories, to justify its rising tyranny against the people. As the AFP’s Eastern Mindanao Command tries urgently to whip up hysteria with the regime’s self-concocted Red October plot, the New People’s Army units in the region are frustrating the enemy’s encirclement campaigns through intensified guerrilla warfare.

On September 28, an NPA unit of the Mt. Apo Sub-Regional Operations Command delivered heavy body blow against the 3rd Infantry Battalion in Sitio Indawhong, Brgy. Salaysay, Baguio District in Davao City. Around 2:00 pm, the Red fighters ambushed a platoon of the 3rd IB and CAFGU, killing four enemy troopers and severely wounding at least five more.

Less than an hour after the firefight, attack helicopters rained bombs and artillery fire near Sitio Indawhong and adjacent Sitio Kalachuchi. For almost 24 hours, the area was continuously mortared, prompting the evacuation of at least 42 families or more than 200 civilians from the two communities.

The masses of Davao City rejoice this recent tactical offensive against an atrocious AFP battalion responsible for the spate of extra-judicial killings, numerous forced and fake surrenders of civilians, intimidation and forced recruitment under the Martial Law in Mindanao.

The NPA ambuscade was carried out as revolutionary justice against the 3rd IB, whose abusive troops have wreaked tumult in the lives of Lumad and peasants with vicious impunity, emboldened by the fascist instigations of both GRP Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and his daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Since 2017, in desperate attempt to attack the revolutionary movement in Davao City, operatives or uniformed elements of the 3rd IB turned against civilians and killed farmer and construction worker Ariel Gelberio and motorcycle driver Roel Satingasin in Brgy. Lamanan, farmer Rodolfo Dagahuya, Jr. in Brgy. Dominga, farmer couple Jezreel and Dalia Arrabis in Brgy. Tamayong and farmer Meling Calawag in Brgy. Salapawan.

The 3rd IB’s fascist crimes escalated this year. In Marilog District, 3rd IB troopers were responsible for ransacking several houses of civilians in Brgy. Tamugan and Brgy. Suawan in at least two incidents. In Calinan District, a peasant family was held at gunpoint and forced to admit to keeping a cache of arms for the NPA. Failing to find anything, the Army forced the family to surrender and tagged them as NPA supporters.

In Brgy. Tawan-tawan, Baguio District last July, farmers were subjected to psychological torture, held incommunicado for several days and forced to surrender as NPA fighters following a firefight between 3rd IB troops and Red fighters. In all aforementioned districts, and including Paquibato, Toril and Tugbok districts, civilians were coerced to surrender as either NPA fighters or supporters and forced to enlist as members of the CAFGU in order to “clear their names.”

With all these atrocities under its belt, it is preposterous for the 3rd IB to boast that the masses of Davao City are embracing Oplan Kapayapaan and is supportive of the Martial Law in Mindanao. Unlike the shock, terror and psychological warfare operations of the fascist AFP troops in the Lumad and peasant communities, Red fighters are immersed in the countryside 24/7, ready to defend the lives and livelihood of Lumad and peasants.