AN EARLY dawn attack on Monday last week by the Joint Task Force Storm of government troops wiped out at least 19 members of the New People’s Army.
The focused military operations had awakened a still sleeping village in a remote vicinity of Dolores, Eastern Samar where the terrorist group had holed up for so long
It was a satisfying payback for the government troops against the NPA terror group who, in the past months, sowed violence by burning units of heavy equipment, blasting unarmed soldiers, and killing barangay officials and civilians.
Payback Time
The soft-spoken commander of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army BGen. Pio Diñoso said in a zoom media conference: “What happened to these NPA terrorists was retribution to their senseless atrocities.”
“They just reaped what they had sown. Reap what you sow. You sow violence, and violence will come back to you.”
“What goes around, comes around,” he added.
The over 12 hours of intense firefight began at around 4 am and lasted until 5pm of the same day.
Trapped and surprised, the rebel group of more or less 50 ran for their lives from the initial barrage of air strikes from the government air bombers.
From here, they never had the chance to fight back at the government troops, who were now on full offensive.
Conflicting reports
The number of NPA casualties that was initially reported by a PNP press release went up to 25 against the initial release of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, of only 16.
The figure was later corrected to only 19 in the total count. All the bodies were accounted for, retrieved, and disposed of the following day, it was learned.
Soldiers unscathed
Meanwhile, the government troops comprising the men from the 52 IB Philippine Army and the Philippine Air Force suffered no casualties.
The operation recovered 29 high-powered firearms, seven improvised explosive devices (IED), and war materials.
The military also dismantled the rebel camp, believed to be an IED-making camp, the military said.
BGen. Diñoso said that the successful military operation “results from the whole of the nation approach–LGU, community, people working together in finding a solution in this decades-long insurgency.”
Losing fight
To express empathy to the families of the fallen insurgents, Diñoso said he also felt bad about the unnecessary enormous loss of lives, who, too, were fellow Filipinos.
He said these people were needlessly engaged in what he called “a losing and pointless armed struggle”.
Surrender or die
According to BGen. Diñoso, the NPA terrorists should lay down their arms now “in willing and peaceful surrender”.
“That’s their only viable option,” he said, over what he claimed a losing protracted struggle they have been waging for over 50 years now.
“They are engaged in a fight they knew they can never win,” he said.
Diñoso said: “Their only option is to surrender or die.”
The NPA fights back
A Northern Samar group of NPA had scored against a patrolling police team a few days after its counterparts in Eastern Samar suffered huge losses.
A patrolman identified as Mario Beter “Marmar” Caramol died in a clash in Bgy. Silvino Lobos with 10 armed men believed to be members of the communist terrorist group (CTG).
Caramol and the members of 805th Maneuver Company of PNP 8 Mobile Force were doing combat operations in the area when the encounter took place, the report said.
It was not immediately clear if the rebels had suffered casualties.
Meanwhile, the police authorities are now filing charges against the suspects identified as Jasper Jarito alias “Basoy”, Rio Alvino alias “dodo”, Acer Turcido alias “Ar-Ar,” along with several others.
3 more dead in Southern Leyte skirmishes
Two more members of the NPA terrorist group and a member of the AFP had died from a firefight in Bgy. Lawgawan Bontoc in Southern Leyte, on Wednesday, August 18.
Reports said AFP troops have encountered armed rebels while operating in the area, resulting in the exchange of gun fires.
It is believed that the armed men belonged to the Platoon 1 of the Island Committee Levox, Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The 14th Infantry Battalion Commander LtCol. Ernesto dela Rosa said that there could be more casualties on the side of the rebels. The claim, however, could not be verified.
Brig. Gen. Zosimo Oliveros of 802nd Infantry Brigade has immediately ordered additional forces to capture the rebels, who escaped during the encounter, the report added.