BUTUAN CITY – The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for the May 5 raid on a security agency in Valencia City, Bukidnon province where the guerrillas claimed to have carted away 11 firearms and captured a soldier.
“We salute the NPA-South Central Bukindon Subregional Command and the daring military action that led to the successful raid of DASIA security agency in Barangay Poblacion, Valencia City, Bukidnon at 6:00 in the evening of May 5, 2017. Carting away nine firearms which includes an AK-47 assault rifle, cal .25 pistol, three shotgun and four cal .38 pistol,” said Ka Ariel “Inda” Magbanwag, spokesperson of the NPA – South Central Bukidnon Subregional Command in a statement.
Magbanwag point out that two more firearms were taken from a police officer and an Army soldier during a checkpoint in two separate areas simultaneous to the raid.
“Another unit of the NPA conducted a check point along the national highway simultaneous with the raid and seized a 9mm Glock pistol from a police officer from Maramag town headed towards Valencia City. Another checkpoint near the security agency captured TSgt Joseph Paredes of the 8th Infantry Battalion (8IB) with his cal .45 firearm. After the operation, the raiding team safely withdraws from the area,” said the NPA statement.
The NPA statement also challenged the alleged claim of the Army’s 8IB and 403rd Brigade that the NPA is getting less support from the masses, pointing out that the raid would not have been successful if the rebels did not have the support of the masses.
Joe Patrick Martinez, Spokesperson of the Army’s 4ID said, “the 4th Infantry Division condemned the NPA’s blatant display of insincerity over the ongoing peace talks when they stormed a peaceful community of Juanilla Subdivision, Poblacion, Valencia City, creating havoc among the populace, taking away firearms from a security agency and kidnapped an off-duty soldier.”
Martinez reiterated a statement by 4thID commander Maj General Benjamin Madrigal Jr lambasting the NPA raid as a crime against the people.
“The whole nation has again witnessed another blatant display of insincerity of these NPA bandits. Recently, they said they released two of our government troops as their gesture of support to the GPH and NDF Peace talks. However, with the recent atrocity, everybody is now asking the same question: can we really trust them? And do they really care about the future of our nation when the only thing that is left in their mind is purely violence? We decry this another dastardly act committed by the NPA. We promise everyone that there will be no let-up in our rescue operation to put pressure on the NPAs for them to immediately release our soldier and to put an end to the violence they committed in the area,” said Martinez.
Martinez also questioned the NPA claim NPA that while there is still no signed agreement on the cease-fire, the NPA will continue its military operations.
“This claim by the NPA on the continued attacks and atrocity is an open declaration of terrorism and an attack directly on the civilian populace even despite the ongoing peace negotiations. The ones affected by their actions are not truly the soldiers and the police but the civilian population,” Martinez concluded.
PNP weighs in
Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office 10 (PRO10) also assailed the NPA statement, questioning the rebels’ sincerity in forging peace.
“On the part of Philippine National Police PRO 10, we condemn the acts of the NPA [of] robbery, kidnapping, carnapping and usurpation of authority; their actions manifest their ignorance of the ongoing agenda of the peace process on bilatetal ceasefire which shows the incompetence and irresponsibility of the NPA,” said Gonda.
