By ARIS FRANCISCO
Spokesperson, NPA Comval-North Davao-South Agusan Subregional Command
The military’s criminal and barbaric acts belie the positive legacy of a “transformed” and “world-class military organization” bragged by the retiring Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista. Ongoing military operations in Laak, Compostela Valley and the Red Army’s tenacious battle to preserve its ranks and punish the enemy expose Bautista’s hype and the AFP’s further descent to decay.
To do battle against the rising number of fascist troops and punish them for their atrocities, the New People’s Army Comval – North Davao – South Agusan Sub-regional command ambushed the 25th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division in two separate incidents in the evening of 14 July 2014 in Laak.
At 8:15 pm in Barangay (village) Mabuhay, five NPA fighters who were positioned five meters away opened fire against an incoming Kennedy military truck. Two of the 10 troops aboard died on the spot and fell from the truck, while three others were also killed.
At 8:16 pm in Barangay Andap, another NPA team discharged command-detonated explosives and damaged the second of two KM40 military vehicles bearing troops of the same Army unit who came from its operations in Barangay Ampawid.
The 25th Infantry Battalion was responsible for arresting and torturing Rodino Diner, a civilian and a resident of Purok 9, Barangay Mabuhay. On 13 July at 1:00 pm, the troops subjected Diner into prolonged interrogation while his face was swathed in a plastic and a blade hovered at his neck. They released him some 12 hours later.
The Army’s Reengineered Special Operations Team (RSOT) also occupied barangay halls and subjected the masses to intimidation, red-tagging and other forms of psychological warfare since it started operations a month ago. Earlier on 9 July, the NPA sniped and wounded one of the RSOT elements.
