Manila Bulletin
Año condemns NPA attack of Bicol International Airport project, tags rebels as ordinary bandits
Año condemns NPA attack of Bicol International Airport project, tags rebels as ordinary bandits
Año condemns NPA attack of Bicol International Airport project, tags rebels as ordinary bandits
By CJ Juntereal
Published Jul 30, 2019 03:43 pm
By Chito Chavez
Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo M. Año on Tuesday has condemned the latest New People’s Army (NPA) attack at the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año
(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) The airport which is under construction was attacked by suspected NPA men. Año has branded the NPA as a cluster of communist rebels that has been reduced to a rag tag group of extortionists and ordinary bandits. “Attacks like this only prove that they are ordinary bandits,’’ Año said. Año said the NPA should not have resorted to destructive actions if indeed the group wants progress for the country. The Bicol International Airport is one of the priority projects under the “Build, Build, Build program’’ of the Duterte Administration and is expected to be completed in 2021. According to the reports from Philippine National Police (PNP) PRO 5, an improvised explosive device (IED) was installed at the front portion of the dump truck owned by the contractor E.M. Cuerpo Inc. causing it to explode at 10:05 AM at the airport's site at Sitio Palanog, Brgy. Gapo, Daraga, Albay. A group of soldiers in a nearby detachment of the Philippine Army responded and exchanged fire with the rebel group. "We are currently conducting intelligence operations to identify the people involved. Security review is already being undertaken by 903 Brigade Commander and the PD, Albay PPO. We will get to the bottom of this," the DILG chief said. Año noted the said attack was probably motivated by the NPA’s demands for revolutionary tax which they use to fund their terroristic activities. “Wala ng idolohiyang ipinaglalaban ang mga kaliwa. Puro perwisyo na lang sila sa ating mga kababayan. Sa pamamagitan ng mga pag-atake na ito, patuloy silang nakakapangikil ng pera sa kanilang mga biktima. We will put a stop to it (The leftist group has no more ideology to fight for. They have only caused so much trouble to the people. Through violent means they continue with their extortion activities).We will put a stop to it,’’ he added. In 2017, at least 10 heavy equipment of the E.M. Cuerpo Inc. were also burned by the communist rebels. The DILG secretary said local government units (LGUs) must be vigilant in protecting infrastructure projects within their localities that may fall prey to NPA’s attacks. “The NPA will continue with their shenanigans, hence, LGUs must always be on their toes to protect their jurisdictions from their attacks,” he noted. The DILG chief has encouraged the LGUs to coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to strengthen and tighten security around government projects as they are proven to be preferred targets of the NPA. He said the attack in Bicol International Airport was not the first time the “NPA attacked a priority government project’’. To recall in May 2019, soldiers deployed in the Samar Pacific Road Project were attacked by the NPA resulting in three casualties, one from the 63rd Infantry Battalion and two from the rebel group.
DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año(PCOO / MANILA BULLETIN) The airport which is under construction was attacked by suspected NPA men. Año has branded the NPA as a cluster of communist rebels that has been reduced to a rag tag group of extortionists and ordinary bandits. “Attacks like this only prove that they are ordinary bandits,’’ Año said. Año said the NPA should not have resorted to destructive actions if indeed the group wants progress for the country. The Bicol International Airport is one of the priority projects under the “Build, Build, Build program’’ of the Duterte Administration and is expected to be completed in 2021. According to the reports from Philippine National Police (PNP) PRO 5, an improvised explosive device (IED) was installed at the front portion of the dump truck owned by the contractor E.M. Cuerpo Inc. causing it to explode at 10:05 AM at the airport's site at Sitio Palanog, Brgy. Gapo, Daraga, Albay. A group of soldiers in a nearby detachment of the Philippine Army responded and exchanged fire with the rebel group. "We are currently conducting intelligence operations to identify the people involved. Security review is already being undertaken by 903 Brigade Commander and the PD, Albay PPO. We will get to the bottom of this," the DILG chief said. Año noted the said attack was probably motivated by the NPA’s demands for revolutionary tax which they use to fund their terroristic activities. “Wala ng idolohiyang ipinaglalaban ang mga kaliwa. Puro perwisyo na lang sila sa ating mga kababayan. Sa pamamagitan ng mga pag-atake na ito, patuloy silang nakakapangikil ng pera sa kanilang mga biktima. We will put a stop to it (The leftist group has no more ideology to fight for. They have only caused so much trouble to the people. Through violent means they continue with their extortion activities).We will put a stop to it,’’ he added. In 2017, at least 10 heavy equipment of the E.M. Cuerpo Inc. were also burned by the communist rebels. The DILG secretary said local government units (LGUs) must be vigilant in protecting infrastructure projects within their localities that may fall prey to NPA’s attacks. “The NPA will continue with their shenanigans, hence, LGUs must always be on their toes to protect their jurisdictions from their attacks,” he noted. The DILG chief has encouraged the LGUs to coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to strengthen and tighten security around government projects as they are proven to be preferred targets of the NPA. He said the attack in Bicol International Airport was not the first time the “NPA attacked a priority government project’’. To recall in May 2019, soldiers deployed in the Samar Pacific Road Project were attacked by the NPA resulting in three casualties, one from the 63rd Infantry Battalion and two from the rebel group.