TWO civilian active auxiliaries were injured after a landmine allegedly planted by communist rebels exploded in Sitio Intabas, Barangay La Fortuna, Impasug-ong town, Bukidnon around 6:30 a.m. Saturday, May 27.
Police Superintendent Lemuel Gonda, Northern Mindanao Police Regional Office spokesperson, said troops of the Army's 1st Special Forces Battalion were heading towards the Mt. Kitangland Relay Station when they were ambushed by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
Gonda identified the wounded paramilitaries only as Onez and Macalam.
The ambush triggered a 30-minute firefight between the soldiers and the communist rebels. There were no reports, however, of injuries among either side.
In another incident, the NPA disarmed an alleged drug pusher in Pangantucan, Bukidnon last Wednesday, May 24.
In a statement, Ka Mamerto Bagani, NPA-Mt. Kitanglad spokesperson said a unit of NPA-Mt Kitanglad Sub-Regional Command successfully disarmed at 10:00 oclock in the evening on May 24, 2017 a supposed drug pusher named Melborn Tan of legal age, married but separated from his wife and is residing at Sto. Nino Village, Pangantucan Bukidnon.
The NPA said Tan was armed and had connections with the police in the area.
Seized from Tan's possession are four assorted firearms, live ammunition, ammo magazine and other objects of military value.
Tan, according to the NPA, is a notorious drug pusher in the area.
"His firearms were used in intimidating residents of Sto Nino village and for his 'protection' in his racket of trafficking illegal drugs which he was in for a long time already. But because of his connections the police were deaf-blind and just leave him untouched," the statement said.
"In general it is the continuing duty of the New People’s Army and particularly the NPA-Mt. Kitanglad Sub-Regional Command to protect the people against the harmful and damaging effect of illegal drugs. It is working hard in investigating and detecting and to lay out appropriate actions to people involved in using and trafficking these illegal drugs without the loss of life," it added.