Reds claim 7 slain, 6 wounded in the army troopers in Aurora clash; military denied the claim-only 1 wounded

The view of sitio Balagbag, Dikapinisan,
San Luis, Aurora.
(Arnel Turzar, DZJO FM,
CMN, Baler, Aurora)

DIKAPINISAN, San Luis, Aurora, August 30, 2011-The communist New People’s Army has claimed that seven soldiers were killed and six wounded in a recent clashes here, a claim which the military vehemently denied saying that only one (1) was slightly wounded even as the latter has gone on heightened alert amid increased sightings of armed rebels some 17 months since this province was declared insurgency-free by local officials, police and the Army.

Ka Rowena Servante, spokesperson of the Domingo Erlano Command (DEC), New People’s Army (NPA) in Aurora said in a press statement that the soldiers were waylaid in an encounter last August 23, 2011 at around 6:30 in the morning at the hinterland of Sitio Balagabag, Barangay Dimanayat where the rescue of choppers from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) came in a broad day light.

The rebel group said that the encounter resulted to wide damages to the 48^th Infantry Battalion, Philippine Army, saying that soldiers who were killed in action and other casualties were airlifted by the AFP chopper and brought to police headquarters at Camp Victor Ravina, Barangay, Sabang, Baler, Aurora around 4:30 in the afternoon. Soldiers wounded were also brought by boat at the Baler Fishport in Barangay Zabali, Baler town. “3 of the soldiers were hit at the body, 2 were hit at their back and 1 hit at the feet at around 9pm,” Servante said in her statement.

The DEC said that the latest incident was the fifth encounter with the government troops within six weeks, it said, belie the latter’s claims it has crushed the backbone of insurgency in the province. “It only showed that the rebels are very much alive and going strong in Aurora,” the rebel statement said.

The encounter site at Sitio Balagbag,
Dikapinisan, San Luis, Aurora.
(Arnel Turzar, DZJO FM, CMN,
Baler, Aurora)

Servante recalled the first gun battle in the army were at Brgy. Diarabasin, Dipaculao town last July 10, the next night (July 11) was the harassment at Sitio Dimutol, Barangay Dianawan, Maria Aurora town, the two consecutive encounters last August 12 and 13 in Barangay Diteki, San Luis town where the rebel group said that the first encounter took place at around 11:15 pm when the NPA band, also figured in a firefight with 20 soldiers who occupied the Diteki barangay hall then (August 13) at around 9:10 am, the rebel command said it has ambushed a truckload of soldiers who were trying to reinforce their fellow troops in Diteki when a bomb was hurled by the rebels and another one last August 23 at Dimanayat, San Luis, Aurora.

Servante said that LTC Kurt A. Decapia, Battalion Commander of the 48^th IB threatened the villagers of Diteki that once proven that they are supporters of rebels will be lost. A certain Balong Genes was also pinpointed by a gun by the soldiers while on his way to "ulingan" (charcoal hole-a place where charcoal is being made) at Sitio Sablang, barangay Diteki, San Luis town last August 14, 2011.

“Ang ipinalabas na pahayag ng mga taga-Diteki na tumutuligsa sa naganap na ambush ay kinopya lamang sa mga anti-NPA rally na inorganisa ng mga military noong panahon ni General Jovito Palparan,” Servante said, condemning the Barangay Security System and Youth Leadership Seminar being organized by the army.

“Muli, nais naming ipahayag: binigo ng NPA ang mga pinakamalaking operasyon ng Oplan Bantay Laya mula 2005-2010 dahil sa suporta ng mamamayan. Higit na determinado ang NPA-Aurora na biguin ang Oplan Bayanihan ng AFP at lalong palakasin ang paglaban ng mamamayan hanggang sa tagumpay ng rebolusyon!”

The DEC also vowed to launch more armed offensives against the military in the province at the soonest time possible.

Northern Luzon Command spokesperson Captain Jovily Carmel Cabading said in a telephone interview that the rebel groups’ claims of army fatalities was a brazen lie. “Obviously, it was a purely propaganda to make it appear that they are recovering lost ground,” she said, adding that only one was hurt during the clash and there was no fatality among the soldiers.

“We don’t have any reason to hide anything among the army troopers,” she said. “Sa lahat ng bulaan ay pinakang-sinungaling iyang mga rebeldeng iyan. Alam ng lahat kung ano ang totoo. Walang ginawa ang mga iyan kundi mangotong at manakot ng tao.”

LTC Kurt A. Decapia said that the statement of Servante is not true and only an act of desperation to show that they have the support of the people of Aurora. “In fact, the recent battle with the guerillas was an effort of the civilians; thus, the army troopers overran their camp. The different groups of NPA who sowed terrorism in Aurora disbanded and left Aurora,” Decapia said. “Wala na sila, sumabog na. Nagwatak-watak na,” he ended in a telephone interview. (Jason de Asis)