The Marine Battalion Landing Team-2 suffer heavy casualty in the recent armed encounters against the forces of the Mt. Daguma Subregional Operations Command of the New People’s Army ― Far South Mindanao.

The clashes happened in the hinterlands of Sangay village, Kalamansig town in Sultan Kudarat province while the MBLT-2 is conducting intensive military operations in the area. On September 16 at around 3:00 o’clock in the afternoon, the NPA ambushed an enemy column on its way to Sinapsap community, and on September 17 at around 11:30 in the morning, an ensuing fight took place in nearby Kati community.

The NPA’s adept grasp of the enemy’s maneuver pattern enable them to come up with a precise ambush plan as soon as they were alerted of the arrival of Marine forces in adjacent communities. They mounted command detonated explosives at the preferred ambush sites while the local militia assisted in setting up indigenous contraptions.

The tactic pulled off a sizable damage unto the enemy’s superior force.

Our earnest congratulations to the Red fighters and commanders of the MDSROC who have staunchly fought and punished the fascist enemy forces! Your prudent judgment is crucial in achieving advantages against a well-equipped opponent. We also congratulate the masses and revolutionary forces in West Daguma whose unrelenting support is valuable in gaining victories and advancing the revolution.

The AFP, always muffled as regards to their military defeats, announced earlier that only one soldier was killed and another one was wounded in the Sinapsap incident. But leaked information from military insiders affirmed that 14 Marine troops were killed in the gun battle, while a number of those severely injured didn’t make it to the hospital, and some succumbed while undergoing medical treatment.

There was no casualty on the NPA’s side on both incidents.

The AFP immediately carried out aerial bombardments and mortar shelling and sent a Huey chopper to salvage their casualties.

As the military operation continues, cases of military violations swell and more and more civilians, especially the Lumads, become helpless victims of military brutality.

According to reports from local civilian groups, a Dulangan-Manobo peasant complained that the fascists razed his house, uprooted his crops and converted his farm lot into a landing field without his approval. The complainant Blanko Kansal further claimed that the soldiers soiled his belongings (read: a pillow was fouled with human feces) and strewed his stocks of rice and salt on the ground. His neighbor Salba Kamandan also complained that the Marine soldiers hacked his house’s walls for firewood.

The vicious military operation in West Daguma is under the directive of the Western Mindanao Command’s Joint Task Force Central. Its abhorrent purpose is to serve and protect big local and foreign businesses in the region, particularly Consunji’s environment destructive logging and mining businesses in Sultan Kudarat, disguised under the war against terrorism mantra.

Ka Dencio Madrigal

Spokesperson, VPROC-NPA

Valentin Palamine Regional Operations Command

Far South Mindanao Region, NEW PEOPLE’S ARMY