Militiaman killed, 2 hurt in NPA attack in Albay

LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines — A militiaman was killed while two others, including a civilian, were wounded when New People’s Army (NPA) rebels fired upon a detachment of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) in a remote village in Albay on Monday evening, an Army official said Tuesday.

Major Angelo Guzman, spokesman of the 9th Infantry Division, said that at around 8 p.m., five communist rebels armed with assault rifles fired at the Cafgu detachment in Barangay (village) Caguiba in Camalig town.

He said the militiaman identified as Jesus Canuel was killed while another Cafgu member identified only as Santiago was wounded. A civilian, Bryan Maravillas, 18, resident of Camalig was injured in the same attack.

The bandits only fled after the arrival of more troops.

The soldiers have pledged to continuously man their mobile detachment which secures the infrastructure project.

Lieutenant Colonel Audrey Pasia, Commanding Officer of the 2nd Infantry Battalion, in a statement,  said that he would coordinate with Barangay Captain Andrey Moratalla Mojeno for the complaint to be filed before the Commission on Human Rights against the communist rebels.

Guzman said the military detachment was set up to provide security to a government road opening project in Caguiba, some seven kilometers away from the town proper.

He said the detachment was securing heavy equipment owned by the Sunwest Corp., a construction firm tasked by the Department of Public Works and Highways to carry out a “road opening project” there.

Local executives envisioned the road project to be integral to the Guinobatan, Camalig, Daraga and Legazpi (Guicadale) Economic Platform, which was designed to spur economic activities in Albay and neighboring Sorsogon province.

The Guicadale project consisted of so-called economic corridors whereby a circumferential road and new arterial roads will interconnect urban centers and the surrounding areas to the Bicol International Airport in Daraga town, the South Central Station of the Philippine National Railways, a new regional center site and various resettlement sites.

Albay Governor Joey Salceda said the project would encourage growth in areas that would be safe from threats posed by lahar flows, floodings and tsunami and an eruption of the active Mayon volcano.