Army troops securing visit of Sen. Angara in Aurora attacked allegedly by NPA, one hurt

By Ronron
January 5, 2008

A government soldier that was part of the team that provided security to visiting Senator Edgardo Angara Saturday in Aurora province was hurt after they were ambushed by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, officials said.

Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Romeo Teope told Manila Shimbun in a phone interview that the seven-man Philippine Army team from the 69th Infantry Battalion was already returning to their base in Barangay Dibacong, Casiguran town when fired upon at around 1:15 pm by some 15 heavily-armed guerillas at Sitio Marabini, Barangay Nipoo in Dinalungan town.

Teope said that earlier, the Army troopers conducted security patrol in Dinalungan in relation to the visit in the morning of Angara in said town.

He said that Angara was in town, accompanied by Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, to distribute “bangus” fingerlings and provide support to the programs of the municipality and barangay officials.

Teope said Angara’s party left Dinalungan before lunchtime for Casiguran town by land where they later took a boat bound for either Baler or Dingalan.

“Senator Angara and his party were already aboard a boat to Baler or Dingalan when the ambush happened,” Teope said, adding that Angara’s party took a route to Casiguran different from the one taken by the ambushed Army troopers.

Teope said what happened must have been just a chance ambush because otherwise, the rebels would have used landmines and peppered their targets with more gunfires to inflict heavier casualties.

“Maybe, they were just passing by the area when they saw the Army truck coming. So they took advantage of the situation,” Teope said of the perpetrators.

“There was a quick firefight because the Army men also fired back. But the rebels immediately withdrew,” he added.

Teope said the ambushed soldiers were aboard a six-by-six Army truck, and were headed by 2Lt. Carlito Torres at that time.

Injured was Corporal Silvester Usita, who was driving the truck and got hit on his left arm. He was rushed to the Casiguran District Hospital for medication, said Teope.

The attack came on the last day of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) unilateral suspension of offensive military operations against the NPA, which started during the Christmas break.

The 6,000-strong NPA has been waging guerilla warfare in the countryside for almost four decades already.

The government vowed to crush the movement by 2010./DMS