Maj. Gen.Reynaldo Mapagu, commander of 10th Infantry Division on Friday strongly condemned the recent atrocities perpetrated by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
Mapagu made the condemnation after the NPAs staged an ambushed Thursday, the second this week, that resulted to the deaths of a militiaman and a former village chief.
Another militiaman was reportedly injured.
Capt. Rosa Ma. Cristina Manuel, Public Affairs Officer of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the ambush took place around 9 a.m. Thursday in Barangay Marilog, Marilog District, Davao City.
Manuel identified the fatalities as Celso Agumay, a militiaman, and former Salaysay village chief Canoto Lumbayon.
Wounded was militiaman Ernesto Sauyan, who is undergoing treatment at the Davao Medical Center.
Manuel said Lumbayon was on his way home aboard a motorcycle together with Agumay and Sauyan when at least 10 NPAs ambushed them.
The two militiamen were unarmed when they were ambushed, Manuel said.
The Thursday’s incident was the second ambush staged by the NPAs this week in southern Mindanao area.
Last Wednesday, Juan Bacharo, the village chief of Banlag in Monkayo town, Compostela Valley and two unarmed soldiers were killed in an ambush staged by the rebels.
They were doing coordination works for the implementation of a development project in Banlag when they were ambushed.
“It is clear enough that these criminals are anti-people and anti-development,†Mapagu said, citing the victims were unarmed when ambushed.
“Treacherous attacks are what they can easily do now because they cannot face the reality that they have already lost their mass base support,†he said.
“Just like Evelyn Pitao, the sister of a well-known NPA leader in the region, they easily killed these innocent people who are public servants, law-abiding citizens and who desire to live a peaceful life in a more improved environment. These bandits are the ones who repeatedly abuse the basic rights of the people,†he added. (PNA)
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