THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has called on the members of the police and the military to just “surrender” during tactical armed operations conducted by its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA) to avoid ending up as fatalities.
In a statement last March 23, 2021 after a successful attack by the NPA at an elite police detachment in Bgy. Dumagmang, Labo Camarines Sur last March 19, 2021, CPP spokesman, Marco Valbuena said it would be “wise” for policemen and soldiers being attacked by a superior number of terrorists to “surrender and submit their firearms in order to avoid the loss of lives,” citing the case of the three members of the police’s ‘Special Action Force’ (SAF) who survived the gunbattle.
“The three who survived the NPA raid wisely chose to surrender, especially after it became clear to them that the combat troops of the 96th IB encamped in the same barangay were not set to send reinforcements,” Valbuena claimed further. Five other SAF members died during the firefight.
A CPP statement two days after the incident claimed the attackers netted “eight high-powered rifles including an R4 carbine, 6 Galil and a baby M60 machinegun” plus six ‘Glock’ pistols.
But apparently, Valbuena’s claim of the NPA’s respect for human life rings hollow after two members of the 15TH Infantry Battalion were killed last April 3, 2021, during an NPA ambush in Cauyan, Negros Occidental.
The military identified the fatalities as, Pfc. Alaster Balboa, 37, of San Jose Road, Zone 2, Zamboanga City; and Cpl. Jhoem Meguillo, 32, of Barangay Malamote, Midsayap, North Cotabato.
The slain soldiers were given departure honors during a send-off ceremony held at the Bacolod-Silay Airport the next day.
Maj. Cenon Pancito III, public affairs chief of the 3rd Infantry Division (ID), condemned the attack that he described as “cowardly and deceptive.”
“Our soldiers were not in combat mode. They were in civilian attire onboard a motorcycle after being tasked to visit our Community Support Program (CSP) teams in the area,” Pancito said in a statement.
A report from the Cauayan Municipal Police Station said that Balboa and Meguillo were fired upon by some 30 fully-armed communist-terrorists at around 12:50 p.m. in Sitio Cambaga in Barangay Yao-yao after visiting the CSP teams in Sitio Lu-oy.
The soldiers’ standard issue .45 caliber pistols and four hand grenades were found missing during the retrieval operation, the military officer said.
“The NPA terrorists have proven once again how coward they are in waging a fight against government troops.
“They cannot face us in battle thus, they resort to ambush of soldiers even in civilian clothes, a clear violation of human rights and accepted rules of engagement,” Pancito added.
Lt. Col. Erwin Cariño, commanding officer of 15TH IB, said the two soldiers risked their lives to protect and bring peace to the people of Negros.
“We honor the heroism and sacrifices of our fallen comrades and we will ensure that justice will be served,” he added.