AFP to ''press on'' to eliminate NPAs before Duterte admin ends
Following a clash that killed six soldiers and wounded 20 others, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) vowed to “press on” to eliminate the communist terrorist group before the end of the Duterte administration.
“This we assure our people. The AFP will not be cowered by this incident in Borongan. We will press on with our pursuit to eliminate the CTG before the end of the Duterte administration,” Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman said in a statement Wednesday.
“This cowardly attack by these enemies of peace and development hardly establishes any point of strength. But rather weakness in attacking through anti-personnel mines soldiers out to aid our people needing help,” he said.
After families of the fatalities were informed, Capt. Reynaldo Aragones, spokesman of the 8th Infantry Division spokesman, on Wednesday named them as : Sergeant Rex C Jadulco; Corporal Ronaldo O Go; Corporal Limar L Banug; Private First Class Kent Loyd M Agullo; Private First Class Junmar D Buranday; and Private Charlie P Del Rosario.
Arevalo said the AFP Chief “directed the delivery of all benefits and assistance to the widows and orphans of the victims as well as to the soldiers wounded-in-action.”
“The AFP Chief of Staff, General Noel Clement, expresses his and the entire organization’s condolences to the bereaved family of soldiers who were killed-in-action in that anti-personnel mines exploded by the members of the NPA,” he said.
Arevalo said “aware that casualties are inevitable and the “fogs of war” are realities in the battlefield,” Clement “nonetheless directed ground commanders to be more prudent and circumspect in the conduct of AFP campaigns.”
“The NPAs ( New People's Army), in their hopeless bid to project strength, will resort to all sorts of means, methods, and forms to inflict casualty on state security forces ?even the ones who were merely responding to distress calls? like these soldiers who were waylaid after heeding request for help from folks being harassed by communist terrorists,” Arevalo said.
Arevalo said praise from Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison '' indicates his unity in design with these terrorists.''
''It’s not surprising at all that he relishes in death and destruction. He was himself indicted for multiple murder and warrants of arrest were issued therefor for his involvement in the (1985) Inopacan Massacre," Arevalo said.
In this event, said to be a purge by the communist party, around 67 persons were killed. In 2006, authorities found a mass grave in this area. Robina Asido/DMS
