NPA rebs kill 10 troops on mercy mission

Communist rebels attacked a 19-man Army rescue team on their way to helping villagers at a bridge rendered impassable by tropical storm “Winnie” in barangay Pasong Bakal, San Rafael, Bulacan, Tuesday, killing its commander and 9 of his men, and wounding six others. Three soldiers escaped unscathed.


The Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) identified the officer killed as 2Lt. Ben Puyao. His men who were killed were SSgts. Rogelio Ocfemia and Juan Malana, Cpls. Jaime Gabanzo and Ramon Villareal, and PFCs. Lito Albarico, Eric Angara, Rodolfo Garcia, Marcian Balwog and Renato Magbanua.


Wounded were Sgt. Eddie Pinkihan, Cpl. Allan Dumanay, and PFCs Salvador Bolibar, Jose Agpalo, Ferdinand Labrador and Zindrick Asuncion. They are now at the V. Luna Medical Center in Quezon City.


The soldiers also lost one M60 machine gun, 3 M-14 rifles, 13 M-16 rifles with one equipped with an M-203 grenade launcher, one GPS,and 2 GP68 Motorola radios.


One rebel was reported killed but has not yet been identified.


NOLCOM commander Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez was fuming. He said the slain and wounded soldiers “were pulled out from their combat assignments to carry out a humanitarian mission in flood-stricken areas of Bulacan,” adding,“Masama talaga ang loob namin [We deeply resent that]!”


In a statement, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye condemned the attack. “We condemn the ambuscade as a cowardly and criminal act of the highest order.

The soldiers were on a relief and rescue mission and there is no way the attack can be excused or justified.”


NOLCOM spokesman Lt. col. Preme Monta also said, “Our soldiers were there to help.” He added the rebel leadership should hold its men “accountable for this unnecessary incident, which happened at a time when the masses of San Rafael, Bulacan were in dire need of help.”


Around 80 guerrillas of the New People’s Army (NPA) attacked at around 3:30 p.m. while the soldiers were busy with their mercy mission in flood-ravaged barangays of San Ildefonso.


Monta said he hopes the government peace talks panel will take up the incident with the National Democratic Front (NDF), which is representing the communists in formal peace talks with government.


The panel could bring the issue to the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) overseeing the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed by both sides in 1998.


In Nueva Ecija, meanwhile, thousands of victims of a flash flood that wrought havoc on Tuesday wanted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to explain the uncontained illegal logging and the ghost reforestation projects that triggered what they called an unprecedented disaster.


“It was a disaster of monstrous proportions Nueva Ecija had ever recorded. I could not remember any previous flood of wide coverage like this one,” said 87-year-old Leonardo Romero, of Kapitan Pepe Subdivision in Cabanatuan City.


This as they braced for what could be a super typhoon, Yoyong, now approaching. Disaster management officials could not accurately account for the number of casualties as yet because of the difficult conditions still prevailing.


Only Gapan City officials had confirmed two deaths and Cabiao town, one. Rendered homeless were 29,297 people with 157 still missing.


Officials believed that most of the victims were from three General Natividad villages along the bank of the Pampanga River, which swelled and swept away uncounted residents.


Jaen town officials are also looking for 129 residents of barangay Pamacpacan, who have been missing since the flood gnawed at the foundations of their houses.

Gabaldon town listed the most number of affected persons at 11,507, Cabanatuan had 1,239; Jaen with 3,657; Heneral Tinio with 995; San Isidro with 9,045; San Leonardo with 2,300; Peñaranda with 1,509; and Sta. Rosa with 7,745.


Five bridges are still closed to traffic—the Gapan-San Leonardo bridge, the Bangkeruhan bridge, Floodway-Concepcion-Cabiao bridge, La Paz-Zaragoza bridge, and the Calabasa bridge in Bongabon.


In Gabaldon, hundreds of residents led by Vice Mayor Bue organized themselves and massed at the town hall to wait for transportation to bring them to safer places.


Gabaldon is at the foot of the denuded Sierra Madre mountain range where slides have occurred.


Air Force helicopters have been able to airlift only 11 elderly people and children in dire need of medical aid before the weather prevented more flying.


President Arroyo has taken notice. She said illegal logging must now be ranked among “the most serious crimes. . .I am directing the PNP and the AFP to join forces in conducting a nationwide crackdown on illegal loggers and their financiers. Illegal logging must now be placed in the order of the most serious crimes against our people.”


She said, “This is not only important to prevent further loss of lives and property in the path of the natural calamities; it is vital to the preservation of our farms and the overall economic strength of our nation.”


A 25-man quick response team from the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) had been dispatched, meanwhile, early Tuesday to Cabanatuan City.


SBMA Administrator Alfredo Antonio said the team was dispatched after the SBMA received calls for assistance, specifically for inflatable rafts.


Retired Col. Jaime Calunsag, who recently took over as head of the SBMA Law Enforcement Department, said the rescue team headed by Maj. Rolando Cepe brought with them two dump trucks, lifeboats, medicines, and food packets. J. Due, M. Gonzalez, R. Tayong, R. Lazaro, C. Marquez, H. Empeño

These are despicable acts the government should anhiliate all of them. The troops were on a 'humanitarian' misson and they get killed when they're the most vulnerable. Put the peace talk aside and shove some napalm on their mouths.

kung may mga balita na ganito masama rin yung loob ko.

Bunch of NPA cowards and doing cowardly acts.

communists...i don't think they'll help themselves and the people's favor by doing $hit like this

That is probably "why" some people are beginning to loose interest in their cause......................

Man, thiis is so wrong. A very cheap shot......

Hey does anyone personally know some one from the NPA or CPP? Or just some one from any of the rebel groups in the PI?

No, I do not know.........

But according to some military , their numbers are going down from a high of almost 30,000 in the mid 1980's CPP-NPA is now about 8,000, Abu Sayaf- 500, MILF- 5,000 others 5,000

this is terrible! how come the soldiers got killed so easily, like its 11 slain soldiers versus 1 dead NPA.. i know they were on mercy mission, but they should at least be able to defend themselves.. this is appauling, my condolences..

Maybe because they were outnumbered and it was an ambush.

^ i know, but its like 1:10 casualty ratio in favor of NPA.. its as if they are better-trained than the AFP soldiers

That is their tactic!

I don't think so because the Philippine Army does joint training with the US military sometimes. And they are being taught by the US to combat terrorists.

hopefully that'll help.. so AFP casualties will decrease in the future..

Some of these NPA are also responsible in the Tarlac Hacienda Luisita riot.

para silang mga nagbabagang kahoy !

i think filipino armed forces could be better than other asian counterparts if phil have a better budget use. i mean phil army is one of the oldest independent one in southeast asia and have fought in many wars within the last century. the thing with it is the administration is bogged by budget crisis.

Sometimes nakikipag-konchabahan ang mga military with the NPA and other group

i don't think npa are marxist anymore. i think most of them are people that can't get anywhere int eh modern times and criminals seeking asylum

They are now in local politics yung mga activists sa congress!
Akbayan, Anak Pawis, Bayan Muna...............

Maybe they would have more to spend on their army if their generals weren't stealing all their funds. How much was it that Garci supposed to have stolen, I forget?

Looked at Garcia, and the former military????????

NPA, very commmunist in their ideology...

Hindi ba idol nila si Lenin , Karl Marx, Che Guevarra?

Karl Marx- Yup. Pero hindi ko kilala si Lennin at Che Guevarra, kaya di ko masabi..

Because during big rallies their members like to wear T-Shirt with Lenin and Che

So is that how you can spot them? I know some one who has a Che sticker posted up in his room in the Philippines. 2 But I don’t think he is NPA. I think it is more of a fashion trend. The same goes for most of the people who where Che t-shirt’s in America.

Ganon? Hindi ba Che is a well known...................Hummmmmmmmmm

You mean one of the Beatles.

coming from a us soldier, when $hit hit the decks when mountain guerilla men hits you out of nowhere $hit happens. it's like saying why they heck us troops die with all their technology and training in other countries. war is hell.

I will ask him if he is NPA then the next time I see him. 2

I thought that they are helping the poor and those who are in need?