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Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Military deploys soldiers to Silay City
MANILA -- The Armed Forces has poured in elite troops to Silay City to neutralize dozens of communist New People's Army (NPA) guerillas who raided last Sunday an international airport in the city, which is under construction.
Armed Forces public information office chief Bartolome Bacarro said elements from the First Scout Ranger Regiment (FSRR) arrived in Silay City on Monday to augment the troops conducting pursuit operations against the rebels.
At least 40 to NPA guerillas, who introduced themselves as policemen, swooped down at the airport after which they carted away a cache of firearms and burned at least P30 million worth of equipment.
The operations that would be waged by the elite Scout Ranger soldiers would complement the ongoing operations being waged by the 11th and 61st Infantry Battalions (IBs) and with the 1st and 2nd Regional Mobile Groups (RMGs) of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Bacarro said the military would also be deploying troops to secure the facility. "Definitely, that that will be done in collaboration with the PNP," he added. He did not say how many troops would be assigned to secure the facility specifically.
On whether the military received prior information that the NPA would attack the airport, Bacarro said he has yet to see the after incident report. He could not also say if there was an intelligence failure on the part of the troops.
On why the NPA was able to mass a large group to mount to attack, Bacarro said the rebels traditionally call in comrades in other areas before mounting a large-scale offensive such as the raid at the Silay airport.
Malacañang officials, meanwhile, said the attack in Silay City only justifies the inclusion of the NPA in the list of foreign terrorist organizations of the US and the European Union (eu) and proves that they are "anti-people, anti-poor and anti-development."
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Malacañang condemns "this act of terrorism," which is a direct assault on the people, whose jobs are at stake in the construction of the airport, and the country's development and effort to alleviate poverty.
Bunye said the incident also justifies the relentless campaign against the NPA and the government is determined to proceed with its vital programs despite the attack.
"The government will not be deterred by these barbarous acts. It will continue to press on with measures to secure vital government projects in the country and to further intensify its counter-terrorism campaign in all fronts," he added.
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said the attack on the airport proves that the NPA is a major obstacle to the country's economic development.
Gonzales also said the communist rebels are also worsening the situation rather than helping address poverty as they had claimed. He added that the attack was meant to scare other potential foreign investors in the country.
"The economic cost of that attack is far bigger than the P30 million worth of equipment destroyed. This destruction will delay development in the province in terms of jobs generated and will be generated by the construction itself, by the operation of the airport and by the businesses that the airport will spawn," he said noting that the economic development actually goes beyond Negros island
Gonzales said with the attack, the NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has lived up to their "terrorist" tag and showed the people that they are actually "afraid of economic development and that they don't really care about the poor Filipinos at all."
He said if there was anything positive about the attack it has showed the NPA's desperation following the total government approach to finally crush it and it also stressed the need for government to continue and to further intensify its comprehensive anti-insurgency campaign which includes military, economic, legal, political and diplomatic components. (VR/JMR/Sunnex)
(October 10, 2006 issue)
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