AFP chasing NPAs in Davao ambush

DAVAO CITY — The military has intensified its pursuit of communist rebels who ambushed last weekend a platoon of the Army’s Special Forces that left 18 soldiers dead.

The incident in Barangay Aliwagwag, Cateel town, Davao Oriental last Saturday also left six soldiers wounded and one missing. Ten New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were killed in the ensuing clash.

Army chief Lt. Gen. Jaime de los Santos told The STAR yesterday pursuit operations continue against the communist guerrillas who were believed to have fled to nearby towns in eastern Mindanao.

"We are now on the offensive. The military will really go after these rebels. The morale of the soldiers is high," De los Santos said.

In Washington, DC, Pre-sident Arroyo said the military will exert its full might against communist rebels, who have increased attacks against government and military installations in recent weeks.

"There is no ceasefire between the government and the NPA, that’s why these encounters have been ongoing," Mrs. Arroyo said in an interview at the Willard Hotel.

De los Santos arrived in Davao yesterday morning to meet with government troops at the Army’s 701st Infantry Brigade headquarters in Mawab, Compostela Valley, and at the same time to visit the wounded soldiers at the military hospital in Barangay Panacan.

The Army chief also condoled with the families of the 18 soldiers who were killed in Saturday’s ambush.

De los Santos likewise explained that there will be no additional units to be deployed in Cateel following the incident.

"We will be operating on existing forces. We will make do with what we have at the moment," he said.

The 18 fatalities and the wounded were part of the 25-man team of the 27th Special Forces Company that was sent to reinforce soldiers on pursuit operations against the NPA rebels suspected of burning the relay stations of four telecommunications companies in Mawab last week.

The rebels fired on the soldiers when the dump truck they were riding hit a landmine in Barangay Aliwagwag while on their way to reinforce the elements of the 30th Special Forces unit.

But a number of soldiers were reportedly able to fire back as they managed to kill 10 of their attackers.

However, government troopers lost 21 high-powered firearms to the rebels.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Arroyo said despite the atrocities committed by communist rebels, the government will still pursue peace talks with the Netherlands-based National Democratic Front.

Peace talks between the government and the NDF were suspended indefinitely in September over what the government said was the rebels’ refusal to renounce political assassinations.

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes said instead of undertaking confidence building measures to show its sincerity in forging peace with the government, the NPA has heightened its military activities, the latest of which was the bombing of telecommunications towers of cellular phone companies.

"It seems the NDF has never been interested having lasting peace in our country even with the government extending the hand of peace," Reyes told The STAR. — With reports from Paolo Romero