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Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Military bombs rebels in Panabo City, residents held hostage
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY (Updated, 12:59 p.m.) -- Military’s OV-10 planes start dropping bombs at a banana farm in Manay, Panabo City Wednesday morning where communist rebels are said to be holed up after the successful raid at the Davao Penal Colony last Sunday.
Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the bombing run started after elements of the Task Force Raptor under Brig. Gen. Antonio Amodia encountered the still undetermined number of rebels Wednesday morning.
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The rebels were said to be sniping at the armor assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) thus the decision to bomb the rebel position.
The encounter area is said to be the same area where the rebels reportedly massed up before Sunday's raid of the Danao Penal Colony (Dapecol).
Cabangbang said the same group of rebels who raided Dapecol was encountered by the government soldiers Wednesday. He said the rebels returned to the Manay area after Tuesday's massacre of a family of four in Calinan by the rebels.
Cabangbang said Tuesday's massacre of the Gonzaga family was part of the NPA's diversionary tactic to shift the AFP's attention away from the raiders.
The rebels meanwhile resorted to taking residents in the area their hostages so as to prevent the soldiers from getting them. The Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion reported that about 50 to 60 rebels took hostage residents of Manay thus preventing soldiers to enter the said area.
As of this posting, no casualties have been reported on the government side. The brigade-size Task Force Raptor is still squaring off with the rebels as of this time, aided by bomber planes and helicopter gunships. (Sun.Star Davao)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (April 11, 2007 issue)
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