NPA members and supporters celebrate the New People’s Army’s founding anniversary in 2016. (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
LOS BAÑOS, Laguna — About 20 communist rebels in Occidental Mindoro seized the firearms of security guards manning a disputed property early morning Monday.
In a statement sent by text message on Monday, Madaay Gasic, spokesperson of the Lucio de Guzman Command of the New People’s Army, said the attack happened in Barangay Salvacion in Rizal town.
The rebels seized three shotguns, bullets and a cellular of phone of one of the three guards of the Sidekick Security Agency. The guards were hired by a family whom the rebels blamed for the demolition of structures in a fishing community in the town in October 2016.
Gasic said 10 fishermen were arrested in the community December 2016 and were charged with trespassing.
The rebels, the statement said, had earlier warned the guards to stop violating the rights of residents in the disputed property.
Capt. Chris Cuenca of the Philippine Army’s 203rd Infantry Brigade confirmed the NPA report.
Cuenca, however, said no one was hurt in the attack. SFM