CAMP Evangelista yesterday cried foul over the Valentine’s Day attack on a convoy of relief workers and soldiers in San Francisco, Surigao del Norte, even as its commander called it an “act of terrorism.”
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, blamed the attack on the New People’s Army.
According to the military, suspected Maoist rebels fired on Army soldiers escorting a relief mission of TV network ABS-CBN in San Francisco on Tuesday night.
“Ka Oto” of the NPA in northeastern Mindanao, speaking over Radyo Bombo-Butuan, denied it was his group that ambushed the relief convoy.
No one was hurt in the attack but Madrigal said it was vicious and reprehensible, citing reports that rebels earlier declared a temporary ceasefire in the province to allow relief aid to villages adversely affected by the magnitude 6.7 earthquake on Friday.
“There is no way we can really trust these terrorists,” said Madrigal of the NPA rebels. “They deceived the entire nation, they fired upon a relief team composed of soldiers and civilian volunteers.”
Madrigal said the NPA’s declaration of a temporary ceasefire in Surigao del Norte was a “lie,” and intended as “deception.”
He ordered soldiers in Surigao del Norte to be vigilant because NPA rebels “can never be trusted.”
Camp Evangelista spokesperson Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez said rebels fired five shots at the soldiers aboard a military truck in Sitio Huwat Baboy, Barangay Linongganan at around 8:30 pm Tuesday.
He said the truck led a five-vehicle convoy.
“The rebels fired from 75 meters on a high ground and the KM450 blast protection plate was hit by two bullets,” he said.
Martinez said nobody was hurt among the soldiers and other members of the team that included a ABS-CBN crew.
Matinez said the soldiers were led by 1Lt. Ryan Layug, Civil-Military Operations officer of the 30th Infantry Battalion.
He said the relief team was about to return to Surigao City after distributing relief goods in a Surigao del Norte town when they were attacked.
In her post on Facebook, ABS-CBN reporter Chiara Zambrano said the van of their “Operation Sagip” developed engine trouble and lagged several hundred meters behind the convoy.
“It was a blessing in disguise,” she said.
She said the TV network was bringing relief goods to Malimono town, Surigao del Norte.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
