NPA owns attack on gov’s convoy

DAVAO CITY—On its 46th founding anniversary, the New People’s Army (NPA) admitted responsibility over the attack on the convoy of Agusan del Norte Gov. Maria Angelica Amante-Matba in Nasipit town on Thursday.

The military earlier reported that the convoy was on its way to the formal turnover of a school in Barangay (village) Camagong when it was fired upon by alleged NPA rebels.

A policeman was wounded in the attack and was immediately brought to a hospital in Butuan City.

Allan Juanito, spokesperson of the NPA’s North Central Mindanao Region, in a statement said communist guerrillas under the NPA-Western Norte-Agusan Sur Command opened fire at the armed escorts of the six-vehicle convoy at an area where there was military operation.

“Six vehicles of Gov. Amante entered along with armed escorts in Camagong area despite an ongoing operation by the 29th Infantry Battalion troops and Philippine National Police-Nasipit personnel in the boundary of Carmen and Nasipit towns,” Juanito said.

He expressed apologies for the incident explaining that they did not know that the governor was in the convoy.

“We earnestly express our regret on this event. It should have been circumvented should there have been prior coordination by the governor’s party with the responsible revolutionary cadres in the said territory,” Juanito said.

Juanito also reminded politicians to avoid bringing in armed escorts in areas identified as territories of the communist movement.

“We would just reiterate our notice to politicians and personalities entering our base areas … to refrain from bringing their arms, and if carrying such be necessary, to coordinate with the respective personnel in the territory so that a permit can be issued,” Juanito said.

In South Cotabato, a government militia was killed and another was wounded on Sunday in a land mine attack by suspected leftist rebels in T’boli town as the NPA was celebrating its anniversary, said Lt. Col. Ronald Jess Alcudia, commander of the 27th Infantry Battalion.

Government militiamen were patrolling the outskirts of T’boli when a land mine exploded, he said.

The explosion happened after one of the militiamen saw an NPA banner left on a roadside and picked it up.

Peace advocates have been calling on both the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to resume the negotiations that would address the root causes of the conflict that has caused numerous casualties and damages to properties.

In the Hague Joint Declaration in 1992, both parties agreed to tackle substantive agenda including human rights and international humanitarian law, socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, end of hostilities and disposition of forces.

In March 1998, both parties signed the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

The government and the NDF have formulated their drafts for the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms but have not made progress since the talks collapsed.

The NDF is asserting that the government should release political prisoners and NDF consultants captured by government forces as agreed upon by the previously signed agreements to jump-start the stalled talks.

The NPA led by the Communist Party of the Philippines, which is fighting a guerrilla war for more than four decades, is known for sustaining one of the longest running communist revolutions in Asia. Karlos Manlupig, Inquirer Mindanao with a report from Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao