Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials suffered grave humiliation when three of their soldiers died in a battle against the New People’s Army (NPA)-Mindoro (Lucio de Guzman Command) on August 12 in Barangay Lantuyang 2, Baco, Oriental Mindoro. This came after Marcos declared that “no guerrilla groups remain” in the country in his fourth State of the Nation Address on July 28.
The second NPA-Mindoro encounter with the military on August 12 in Barangay Lantuyang 2 left three soldiers dead, including a 203rd IBde 1st Scout Ranger Regiment captain. The unit leader, Cpt. Marky John Alberto, was shot in the head and died instantly. Three more abusive soldiers were reportedly wounded.
“With the masses’ support in the area, the NPA unit maneuvered against several enemy columns’ encirclement…until they encountered a unit of exhausted soldiers,” Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) information officer Ka Marco Valbuena said.
The NPA-Mindoro fired on the Scout Ranger unit in order to break out of the encirclement tactic. This clash killed military officers and wounded others. “We extend our condolences to the families of the soldiers who died in battle,” Valbuena said.
Meanwhile, the NPA-Mindoro reported that its unit safely withdrew from the battle site.
Prior to this, an NPA-Mindoro active defense against an attacking enemy unit also killed a 203rd IBde soldier on the morning of August 9 in Barangay Mangangan 2, Baco.
To cover up the shame of defeat and boost troop morale, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr personally went to the 203rd IBde headquarters in Oriental Mindoro on August 14. He downplayed the incident by claiming that the Scout Ranger unit clashed with mere remnants of Red fighters on the island.
He flattered his soldiers by praising their “unquestionable courage, dedication and professionalism” despite the deaths among the operations-exhausted troopers.
The Party considered the battle in the town of Baco “an important tactical victory of the Mindoreños,” especially amid the AFP’s relentless focused and sustained military operations and military rule throughout the island. “It will surely inspire the peasant masses and the Mangyan people to fight even more vigorously, courageously and militantly,” Valbuena stated.
Valbuena noted that the NPA nationwide remains focused on recovering strength from past losses and rebuilding the people’s organizations and organs of political power. “With the firm unity of the peasant masses and their people’s army, we are certain that the people’s war will win even greater victories in Mindoro and across the country,” Valbuena declared.
