A CHILD warrior of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and two other rebels were killed Tuesday in a firefight with government troops in Lianga town in Agusan del Sur, the military reported yesterday.
Leftist groups said the three were mere farmers who were harvesting abaca when they were shot by troops from the Army’s 3rd Special Forces Battalion (SFB), a claim dismissed by the military as mere propaganda.
Maj. Rodulfo Cordero, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division based in Cagayan de Oro City, said troops from the 3rd SFB clashed initially with about 20 NPA rebels in Sitio Tibog, Barangay Mabuhay in Prosperidad town in Agusan del Sur around 2 p.m. Sunday.
Cordero said the encounter was the result of information received by the military from residents who reported the presence of communists who allegedly looking for food in their community.
The five-minute firefight resulted in the apprehension or rescue of a 12-year-old female NPA combatant. The minor was brought to the police, which later turned her over to the local social welfare department, said Cordero.
On Tuesday, pursuing government troops caught up with the retreating rebels in Sitio Decoy in Barangay Diatagon in Lianga town. The troops clashed for about 10 minutes with the rebels who detonated a landmine during the firefight, Cordero said.
No one was reported injured or killed on the military side. Three died on the NPA side — a 12-year-old female NPA rebel; Lenie Perez Rivas, 38; and Willy Salinas, 20. Cordero said the three were all members of the NPA’s Sub-Regional Sentro de Grabidad Southland, North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee.
Troops recovered at the scene an AK47 rifle, two cal. 45 pistols, two anti-personnel mines, a claymore mine, magazines and ammunition, two blasting caps, a 25-meter detonating cord, and a 30-meter electrical wire attached to a firing switch.
Leftist groups — including Karapatan-Caraga, Bayan Muna, Kilusang Mayo Uno and Save our Schools Network – denounced the killing of the three who they said were Lumad farmers.
Karapatan-Caraga named the slain 12-year-old as Angel Rivas, a Grade 6 student of the Lumad school Tribal Filipino Program of Surigao del Sur.
It said said elder Rivas and Rodriguez are members of Lumad organization Malahutayong Pakigbisog alang sa Sumusunod.
“The farmers were harvesting abaca hemp at their farm when the indiscriminate firing and massacre happened. Relatives said that the group asked permission from the military before going to the farm,” Karapatan-Caraga said.
Cordero disputed the claim. “The three are indeed members of the NPA, they are members of the NPA unit encountered by the 3rd Special Forces Battalion.”
Cordero also said the leftist groups want to divert public attention from NPA’s killing of Far Eastern University football star Kieth Absalon and his cousin and wounding of the latter’s son during a landmine attack in Masbate City last June 6.
