LUCENA CITY – The communist New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the attack that left one Army soldier dead and two others wounded in Lopez town, Quezon province on Monday night.
In her Facebook post, Ka Cleo del Mundo, spokesperson of the NPA-Apolonio Mendoza Command, confirmed that communist guerrillas were behind the attack.
A police report said the soldiers were aboard a military truck when a landmine exploded along a road in Barangay Bagong Silang around 8 p.m. on Monday.
The blast was followed by an attack by an undetermined number of rebels, which triggered an exchange of fire.
Del Mundo claimed the rebels had no casualties during the twin battles – against the soldiers aboard the military truck and against the reinforcement team.
According to her, their tactical offensives were in defense of the rural areas, which she said were under the rebel’s territorial jurisdiction.
“Bagama’t nagbukas ang gubyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas ng bagong bintana para sa usapang kapayapaan, patuloy naman ang atake nila sa mga baryo ng magsasaka, kaya naglunsad ng kontra-atake ang NPA,” she said.
Del Mundo said at least six remote villages – San Francisco B, San Miguel Dao, Veronica and Jongo in Lopez; Cauayan in Gumaca and Bulagsong in Catanauan, were heavily militarized.
She said the presence of Army soldiers were causing fear among the villagers.