Maoist rebels set-up checkpoint near Special Forces detachment

BY: BEN SERRANO
Correspondent

BUTUAN CITY — Claiming their status of belligerency, about 20 to 50 armed combatants of the New People’s Army (NPA) –– the armed-wing of the Communist Party-led National Democratic Front (NDF) –– established a checkpoint along a national highway in Purok 2, Sitio Bayanacon, Barangay Mabuhay, Bayugan City in Agusan del Sur on the first day of the campaign period for national candidates.

In a phone interview, 3rd Special Forces Battalion spokesman Capt. Ray John Labiao said their responding troops were able to fire at the fleeing communist rebels after conducting a checkpoint for about 20 minutes in the area.

“Naabutan pa actually namin sila but upon seeing special forces troopers, the ones that manned the checkpoint immediately fled and ran as fast as they can towards the mountainous areas, Hindi sila lumaban. Pang-gulo lang actually ginawa nila. Divertionary tactics. Thus we conducted hot pursuit operations against them,” Labiao said.

Labiao admitted their headquarters which is situated in Barangay Noli, Ba-yugan City is just about three to four kilometers from the NPA-held checkpoint.

The national highway forms part of Philippine–Japan Friendship Highway going to Davao City where thousands of passenger vans, buses, cargo trucks including big container vans and private vehicles pass daily. The highway connects the cities of Butuan, Ba-yugan, Tandag, and Davao including Compostela Valley and the Davao provinces.

Eyewitnesses living near the highway told responding military and police operatives those who personally manned the checkpoint and flagged down passing vehicles were about twenty fully armed suspected New People’s Army rebels.

Residents claimed the incident took place at around 5:30 early morning Tuesday and suspected there are other armed NPA rebels, serving as protective and blocking forces, monitoring the vicinity for responding government for-ces. This claim puts the estimated presence of NPA rebels involved in the checkpoint to around 50 fully armed rebels.