Top NPA Honcho Notorious for Atrocities in Paquibato District Yield

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City – Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) is facilitating assistance to a pregnant top honcho of the New People’s Army guerrilla unit after her surrender to the Joint Military Forces conducting an Intelligence Operation at Sitio Lamuak, Barangay Catilacan, Pikit, North Cotabato on August 01, 2021.

Team EastMinCom Pays Tribute to Fallen Comrades in Sulu C-130 Crash

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City – The different units of Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) paid tribute to the soldiers who died in the C-130 military plane crash in Sulu on July 4.

NPA Kills Civilian, Hurt Another in a Night Attack in Police Station

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - A unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked a police station in Lanuza, Surigao del Sur killing a civilian and wounding another on Thursday, June 24 around 9 pm.

Fifteen armed Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) of the Guerrilla Front 30, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee harassed the town’s police station in a 20-minute firefight against the cops, prompting the troops of 36th Infantry Battalion to respond.

As the exchange of fires continued, the CTG burned the construction equipment owned by MR1 Construction Company being parked 250 meters away from the police station, which resulted in the killing of a watchman and hurting another.

Authorities identified the cadaver and the wounded but names are withheld pending notification of their families. Both are from Barangay San Roque, Madrid, Surigao del Sur.

Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) Commander LtGen. Greg T. Almerol lambasted the NPA’s action, calling it a criminal act and a clear violation of the provisions of the International Humanitarian Law and Republic Act 9851, known as the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

“The Command will see to it that the perpetrators will be held responsible for their crimes. The police and army forces will continue to work together to pursue the bloodthirsty NPA members that had already claimed several lives for years,” Almerol said.

Almerol further added that the NPA’s latest attack only shows their dreadful attempt to be relevant at the expense of civilian lives.

“This is just one of the many innocent lives claimed by the NPA for the sake of its selfish agenda. They have no high regard for human lives and yet they are shamelessly calling themselves the people’s army,” he added.

The Commander also condemned the NPA’s burning of heavy equipment, which were used in the construction of a much-needed diversion road from Brgy Gamuton to Brgy Zone 3, Lanuza, Surigao Del Sur, saying that this mischievous act hampers the economic progress facilitated by the government in the area.

Government forces have already secured the town and launched pursuit operations to catch the perpetrators. As a result, soldiers of the 36th Infantry Battalion engaged in another 10-minute intense firefight against seven CTGs at Sitio Poog, Brgy Maitum, Tandag, Surigao del Sur around 12:30 pm on June 25 which led to the recovery of one AK 47 rifle.

This came after Almerol directed immediately the ground forces to intensify security operations and deter terrorists from spoiling peace among Surigaonons.

The Command also sympathizes with the family of the victims, currently mourning due to the untimely death of their loved one.


Source: Public Information Office, Eastern Mindanao Command, AFP

Surigao Clashes Shed Light on NPA’s Illegal Recruitment of Child Soldiers

NSFA, Panacan, Davao City - The series of skirmishes between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Lianga, Surigao del Sur this week only exposed the NPA’s long practice of arming minors to join the armed struggle.