NPAs attack anew cellsite in Agusan Sur

Camp Rafael Rodriguez, Libertad, Butuan City – An undetermined number of young New People’s Army members attacked anew yesterday morning a Globe vital relay station in Sitio Tuburan, Barangay Del Monte, Talacogon, Agusan del Sur, Caraga police regional director Chief Superintendent Antonio Dator Nañas said. Nañas immediately ordered the Caraga police Regional Mobile Group and the Agusan del Sur police Mobile Group to proceed to the area to beef up forces and conduct manhunt operations against the communist rebels.

"The NPA attack was, however, repulsed by Globe Telecommunications guards and some military and police personnel who were assigned to secure the area from any possible attack," Nañas said.

Report from police field commanders in the area said that the insurgents suddenly lobbed grenade at the entrance gate of the Globe cell site after they opened fire at the two guards who have just woke up. No casualties, however, were reported but sketchy reports showed there were wounded persons from both sides.

Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office in its report to Nañas said heavy firefight ensued when the guards and other military and police personnel inside the heavily fenced Globe cell site woke up and engaged the NPA attacking force in a firefight. "The NPA rebels, probably sensing that the guards inside vowed to fight to the end despite being outnumbered withdrew upon sensing military and police responding teams were on their way to the area," Nañas said.

No major damage including downtime of the facility were reported as of press time as police authorities in the area are still conducting investigation of the latest Globe cell site attack, the police general said.

On Dec. 12, a Globe cell site in Barangay Poblacion, Doña Maxima, San Luis, Agusan del Sur was also attacked by the rebels. They did not only successfully destroy the Globe telecommunication facility but also hogtied the security guards.

The NPAs, believed to be composed of teeners, used explosives to blast the cell site which caused major damage leaving the SMART cell site as the only functioning communication tower for mobile phones in the area. Also, on Dec. 22, they raided the house of Malimono, Surigao del Norte Mayor Clemente Sandigan Jr. carting away some six high powered firearms and ammunitions. Six firearms, two M-16s, two M-14s and one pistolized carbine and one M-79 were carted away by some 50 raiding armed New People’s Army from the ancestral home of Malimono Mayor Clemente Sandigan Jr.

The following day, the rebels were on the offensive again when they tried to attack an Army-CAFGU Patrol Base past midnight that day in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Anticala, Butuan City. — Ben Serrano