The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) chided the communist terrorist groups (CTGs) on Monday, Jan. 10, for allegedly attacking government forces delivering assistance to the victims of Typhoon "Odette".
In a press briefing of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the communist rebels carried out their vicious attacks “with no remorse and without any consideration for the welfare and interest of our countrymen who were affected by the calamity.’’
To ensure the safety of government responders and civilians, Malaya added that the DILG will deploy additional police force in preemptive evacuations during natural calamities to stop the communist rebels from exploiting the situation.
In the same briefing, Mayor Jane Plaza, of Carmen, Surigao del Sur, recounted that on Dec. 15 last year before the onslaught of super typhoon Odette, three soldiers were ambushed by the rebels on their way to assist “preventive evacuation” on board an army pick-up truck.
On the other hand, La Castellana, Negros Occidental Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan recalled how the rebels took advantage of a family dispute and killed Mario Landeda, one family member in conflict as the other relative is a sympathizer of their cause.