NPA bombs recovered in Southern Philippines

Army officials said troops have recovered dozens of landmines and various materials used in the manufacture of improvised explosives in the southern Philippines.
Officials linked the explosives to the communist rebel group New People’s Army in Loreto town in Agusan del Sur province. The cache of landmines was discovered by civilians in the village of Mansanitas, according to Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command.
Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz III, the Eastern Mindanao Command chief, praised the bravery of the civilians who informed the military about the explosives.
“We thank our people for their cooperation. Our soldiers are always ready to respond anywhere and whenever needed. If the NPA is sincere about peace, they must stop manufacturing landmines as these kill people and destroy properties,” Cruz said.
He said the discovery came a day after two NPA rebels - Robert Daging and Abet Guinson – surrendered to the 36th Infantry Battalion in Carmen town in the province of Surigao del Sur.
The duo also handed over two automatic rifles. The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country. 

Article Source: Mindanao Examiner

Two IEDs Recovered in North Cotabato Town

KIDAPAWAN CITY  – Two powerful improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered along the highway in M’lang town in North Cotabato, around 7:30 p.m. yesterday, police officials said.

Inspector Rolando Dillera, deputy chief of police of M’lang, said that both IEDs were fashioned from a 60-mm mortar with a blasting cap, detonating cord and a clock as the triggering device.

Dillera said it was a balut vendor that informed them of the suspicious package left in front of a restaurant along M.H. Del Pilar Street in Poblacion, M’lang.

The vendor told authorities that an unidentified male person left the package just few feet away from a concrete road pavement along the highway minutes before the recovery, who then boarded a vehicle and sped towards an unknown direction.

 “There were at least two people that were seen roaming around the place minutes before the vendor found the package,” said Dillera.

An hour later, elements of the Explosives and Ordnance Disposal Team of the Army arrived at the place and defused the IEDs.

Dillera said the bombs recovered in M’lang town looked like the explosives recovered and defused last January in Kidapawan City.

“We have yet to find out as to who might be behind the planting of these bombs,” said Dillera. 

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Malu Cadelina Manar | Manila Bulletin | March 7, 2013 | Article Link

Police arrest rebel in landmine blast

POLICE filed charges before the City Prosecution Office on Wednesday against a New People's Army (NPA) member involved in a landmine explosion in Paquibato District in Davao City on August 5.

Lieutenant Colonel Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, identified the suspect as Mark Jhon Odorios, 19, a resident of Sitio Bajada, Paradise Embac, Paquibato District.

Paniza said the suspect is now facing criminal charges, after he was positively identified by one Melvin Lucanas, resident of the same area who saw Odorios plant the landmine.

Initial investigation of the Paquibato Police Station showed that Lucanas saw Odorios leaving the area after the landmine exploded. Lucanas recovered some debris and turned them over to a Peace and Development Team of the 10th Infantry Division for documentation.

Paniza said the suspect was arrested around 10 a.m. Monday through the help of residents and barangay officials of Sitio Bajada.

"This is an indication that the people in Paquibato and the local government units are now empowered and joining our campaign for peace and development in their area," Paniza said.

The suspect is now detained at the Paquibato police station. 

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 Ivy C. Tejano | SunStar.Com.Ph | August 9, 2012 | Article Link

Suspected rebels ambush 2 cops

Philippines – Two policemen were ambushed by suspected Communists rebels while on their way to secure confiscated logs in Butuan City Monday, according to the CARAGA regional police.

Police Officer 2 Adones Dumaboc died while PO2 Sergio Sergio Salagoste was injured.

Senior Superintendent Mario Soriano, acting CARAGA regional director, said the rebels also took the two M16 rifles of the victims.

Soriano said the two cops were supposed to augment a small group of policemen who confiscated illegally-cut logs at Esperanza Veneer Corporation when they were waylaid at around 10 a.m. in Barangay Bit-os in Butuan City.

“The attackers used landmines as revealed by the recovered explosive materials in the area,“ said Soriano. 

After the blast, the official said the rebels also fired at the policemen who were on board a motorcycle when the incident occurred.

“Our investigators recovered more or less 100 pieces of empty shells from the different caliber of firearms,“ he said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) learlier intensified the antiillegal logging activities in CARAGA region following the onslaught of tropical storm “Ondoy“ last year that left more than 1,000 dead.

The regional director of CARAGA region was relieved last week for failure to stop illegal logging activities as well as eight police commanders in June this year.

Both the police and the military have accused local communist rebels of protecting illegal logging activities in CARAGA and nearby provinces.

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Aaron Recuenco | Tempo.Com.Ph | August 8, 2012 | Article Link

Military convoy hit by roadside bomb in Maguindanao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - A military convoy traversing the Cotabato-Isulan highway was hit by an improvised roadside bomb in the town of Datu Hoffer, Maguindanao, on Wednesday morning, August 8, a military officer said.

Col Prudencio Asto, spokesman of the military’s 6th Infantry Division, said the convoy had 5 M35 trucks, 3 KM 250 trucks and two civilian vehicles and was on its way to Datu Hoffer Municipal Hall from Barangay Kamasi, Ampatuan.

 

The improvised bomb hit the convoy at around 6 a.m., hurting one soldier identified as Cpl Joseph Primavera.

On Sunday evening, August 5, rebels attacked Maguindanao towns, triggering renewed firefights between the Army and members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Liberation Fighters, a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The MILF resumed its peace talks with the government last August 7 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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Karlos Manlupig | Rappler.Com | August 8, 2012 | Article Link

Eight soldiers hurt in Basilan bomb blast

ZAMBOANGA CITY - An improvised bomb planted by suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits injured eight Army soldiers in Sumisip, Basilan province on Tuesday night, a military official said Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Randolf Cabangbang, spokesman of Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) based in this city, said the victims were soldiers from the 12th Scout Ranger Company (SRC) and 11th Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC).

Cabangbang said the soldiers were on their way to Barangay Mangal for a security mission when one of their military trucks hit the improvised device, which was laid as a landmine. The incident took place at around 8:27 p.m., he said.

“At least eight of the soldiers were unfortunately wounded in action,” Cabangbang said.

The explosion partially damaged the military vehicle, he said.

Military explosive ordnance and disposal (EOD) personnel were deployed to the blast site to determine the type of bomb that hit the soldiers. 

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Roel Pareno | SunStar.Com.Ph | July 11, 2012 | Article Link

NPA officer nabbed in Surigao Sur / NPA arrested for Landmines

NPA Officer nabbed in Surigao Sur - Army

MANILA, Philippines -- An alleged officer of the New People’s Army was arrested by authorities in Lianga, Surigao del Sur Wednesday, the Army reported belatedly.

A statement released by the 4th Infantry Division said Hermes Domandan, alias Teddy Bagger, alleged team leader of the Sandatahang Yunit Pangpropaganda and political and finance officer of Platoon 8, Guerilla Front 19B, Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, was arrested in Barangay Diatago.

He was the subject of a warrant of arrest for rebellion issued by the Executive Judge of Branch 28 Regional Trial Court Lianga Alfredo Jalad.

Seized from Domandan were a hand grenade, three cell phones, a memory card, chargers and P9,760 cash.

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Abigail Kwok | InterAksyon.com | May 4, 2012 | Article Link

Driver in Compostela Valley yields 'NPA' landmines

MANILA, Philippines - Police and military authorities intercepted and arrested a 35-year-old truck driver caught transporting several improvised landmines in Pantukan, Compostela Valley.

Oliver Balusan, a resident of Bislig City, was intercepted and apprehended at around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday at a checkpoint along the National Highway Townsiye, Barangay Kingking. 

Balusan yielded 12 pieces of improvised landmines (7.5 inches in diameter) and other suspected incendiary devices found in his white Fuso dump truck.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Jerry Borja, Commander of the 71^st Infantry Battalion, said “based on the kind and make of these landmines, there is no doubt that they are owned by the "Organized Crime Group-New People’s Army (OCG-NPA)."

Accordingly, these landmines are bigger than the ones used in Libay-libay, Maco landmine attack.

Borja said a piece of these landmines has a killing radius of 50 meters, if three are combined, anyone within five meters can be killed by its blast alone even without the shrapnel. If all 12 are combined, it can easily collapse a "two-story building.”  

The confiscated items were brought to Pantukan Police Station for proper handling and disposition.

Brig. Gen. Ariel Bernardo, Commander of Philippine Army’s 10^th Infantry Division, said the use of landmines is a violation of international law. 

“The use of landmines is a violation of the provisions of CARHRIHL specifically Part III, Article 2, Paragraph 15. We condemn to the highest degree the NPA’s continued use of these banned landmines,” Bernardo said.

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Abigail Kwok/Jaime Sinapit | InterAksyon.com | May 4, 2012 | Article Link

Rebels attack convoy in Cotabato

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - Suspected leftist rebels detonated two improvised bombs along a road in a southern Philippine city early today, barely missing a passing convoy of military and civilian vehicles, a military official said.

No one was hurt following the 6:25 a.m. blasts at San Mateo village, Kidapawan city, in Mindanao's North Cotabato province, " but several civilian commuters have been traumatized," according to Colonel Leopoldo Galon, Eastern Mindanao Command spokesperson.

The loud explosions rocked the village as a military truck carrying soldiers of the army's 57th Infantry Battalion, a mini- jeepney and two motorcycles full of civilians were passing by, said Galon.

"Everyone escaped the blasts but the civilian commuters were terrified," the military official told Xinhua by text message, adding the incident happened near a populated area just several kilometers from the city proper.

Galon suspected New People's Army rebels could be behind the latest attack as it happened just days after a series of clashes between government troops and the leftist rebels in the province that left six people dead.

He said the provincial army commander Colonel Cesar Sedillo was readying the filing of criminal charges against the NPA for allegedly employing landmines, long banned by the Ottawa Treaty which both the Philippine government and the insurgents' political umbrella Communist Party of the Philippines were signatories.

The 4,000-strong NPA is fighting a leftist insurgency in 60 Philippine provinces since March 29, 1969.

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The Philippine Star | April 1, 2012 | Article Link