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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Folks flee as army steps up offensive
By Ben Serrano
Caraga Correspondent
MALAYBALAY CITY -- More residents from eight Upper Pulangi barangays near the mountain ranges of Mt. Pantaron where communist rebels are reportedly hiding began to flee their homes since Sunday as the military gears up to launch air and ground assaults.
Upper Pulangi barangays include Busdi, the last hinterland barangay of Malaybalay City located right at the boundary of the Province of Agusan del Sur, Kulaman, Silae, Mandelasa, Zamboanguita, St. Peter, Kabwakan and Magsolo.
As of Tuesday, the Malaybalay City Social Welfare Office only recorded the barangays of Kulaman, St. Peter, Busdi and Zamboanguita where evacuees have temporarily sought shelter at public schools, barangay halls and houses of relatives.
Leah Tadio, social welfare staff of the Malaybalay City Social Welfare Office said this doesn't include evacuees from sitios in far flung areas of Upper Pulangi barangays.
"(They) have not reported to our office yet because of the difficulty to travel due to bad weather. We are hoping affected barangay officials to report to us soon," she said.
The City Welfare Office sent sacks of rice, coffee, noodles and sardines to Barangay Kulaman located 62 kilometers northwest of this city.
Barangay chairman Zaldy Singatao personally arrived at the Malaybalay City Hall to ask assistance at the Office of the Malaybalay City Mayor Dr. Florencio Flores.
Lesson
Singatao said 36 families from different sitios of Barangay Kulaman have temporarily sought shelter at the Barangay Hall while some opted to stay temporarily at their relatives' houses.
Barangay chairman Domingo Hingpit of Barangay St. Peter said St. Peter Elementary School was converted into a temporary shelter for more than 5O families or 197 persons who started to flee their respective homes since last week.
Barangay Captain Felix Amores of Zamboanguita said as of yesterday there are 76 families or 347 persons staying at designated evacuation centers in their area while some opted to stay at the houses of relatives but still receive their daily consumption from the barangay office.
These barangay officials expressed concern that with the onset of the rainy season children who comprise the bulk of evacuees at different evacuation centers may get sick.
Colonel Ricardo Morales, 403rd IB Commanding Officer based here in Camp Osito Bahi-an said government troopers will continue in their assault until New People's Army rebels holding the fortified camps will be dislodged from their camps.
"We want this to be over as soon as possible but are prepared to continue as long as necessary until the NPA learns its lesson to leave government projects alone," Morales said.
Meeting
Captain Romeo A. Peria, 403rd IB spokesman, said heavy rains in the area temporarily forced them to use two MG520 gunships of the Philippine Air Force while delaying ground troops movement as of the moment.
At the Barangay Plaza in Barangay Zamboanguita located 45 kilometers away from the city, operatives of the 26th IB and the 4th Infantry Division Reconnaissance Company set up camp and mounted one Howitzer cannon to bombard mountain ranges of Pantaron where the NPA rebels are reportedly holing up.
Last Saturday, said military operatives seized 120 pieces of Superdyne contained in plastic containers from 194 satellite NPA camps and bunkers.
Bukidnon Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr. plans to convene the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) anytime now to assess the current situation in the areas affected.
Zubiri said the communist rebels who are making trouble in the province are not actually coming from Bukidnon but from nearby provinces of Agusan del Sur and Agusan del Norte.
"They (NPA) are making the province of Bukidnon as their R and R," Zubiri said even as he doubted whether the NPA hiding during past military offensives are still in the area at present.
The military offensive against the rebels in the area started on June 10 after communist rebels belonging to the Communist Party of the Philippines/National Democratic Front/New People's Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) burned at least 11 heavy equipment.
These equipment belonged to the construction firm, Concepcion Basic Builders Inc., which is implementing road and bridge projects in Barangays Zamboanguita and Silae, all in Malaybalay City last June 6.
The military has so far overrun smaller satellite camps ad bunkers but not the NPA main camps situated along Mt. Pantaron mountain ranges.
(June 28, 2006 issue)
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