A unit of the Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army (LPC-NPA) Central Negros Guerrilla Front ambushed Philippine Army forces under the 303rd Brigade yesterday, March 3.

According to LPC-NPA deputy spokesperson Ka Ann Jacinto, 10 elements of the 62nd IB were on board an army truck when an NPA unit open fired at them at Sitio Compound, Barangay Luz, Guihulngan City.

In a statement Jacinto said that state forces suffered two killed-in-action, four wounded while two others fled and another soldier was missing.

“The NPA unit no longer pursued the ambushed soldiers because they were nearing a populated area and civilians might be harmed,” she said.

She further explained that their military action was a response to orders of their Regional Operational Command to launch tactical offensives against massive militarization and killings in the countryside.

Meanwhile, Jacinto condemned the torture of two captured NPA members by the 94th IB.

Last February, two NPA members were allegedly killed in an encounter with the Philippine Army at Barangay Binobohan still in Guihulngan City.

But Jacinto clarified that the two guerrilla fighters were captured after the said encounter and did not actually resist.

“Nonetheless, they were brutally tortured before they were killed since they did not give any information against their comrades to the soldiers,” she said.

“In fact, the 94th IB refuses to release the body of Ka Rido who was supposed to be buried today to his family because his fingers were cut off and his body was heavily bruised; the two were made to suffer until they were shot to death a day after they were captured,” she added.

Jacinto stressed that if it was the NPA who took prisoners of war or even during armed encounters and the soldiers can no longer fight, the International Humanitarian Law and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law will be strictly observed.

The LPC-NPA denounced the Philippine Army’s senseless killings and forced mass surrender of farmers wherein after being coerced to surrender and promised rewards from the government’s so-called surrenderee program, they did not receive anything.

Lastly, the revolutionary army assured that whatever the reactionary government will do and despite the ruthlessness of the military, the people will continue to wage a revolutionary armed struggle until social justice is achieved.###