BUTUAN CITY, Philippines – A soldier believed seized by communist insurgents remained missing while four civilians were seriously wounded after some 50 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked a military patrol base in a village in San Luis, Agusan del Sur before dawn on Wednesday.
Police said the guerrillas torched the quarters of government militiamen manning the military patrol base in Barangay Binicalan.
Police identified the missing soldier as Army Cpl. Taglanao Diol, commander of the patrol base.
The four wounded civilians, who were rushed to D.O Plaza Memorial Hospital, were identified as Diol’s wife Emma; Paulino Asalan, father of one of the militiamen; and Merina Leganio and her 13-year-old child.
The San Luis police and other units in nearby towns have set up checkpoints to intercept the fleeing rebels, police said.
Police said the NPA attack led to a firefight that lasted for nearly one hour.
NPA spokesman for Mindanao George Madlos said the NPA raiders belonging to the Cesar Cayon Command Front 18 carted away 21 firearms from a detachment of militiamen under the Army patrol base.
“This showed their brutality unmindful of hurting civilians. They will do everything to inflict injuries to your soldiers,” Maj. Eugenio Osias IV, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said in a statement.
“They also deliberately shot these four unarmed civilians in plain view,” he added.
Osias said the insurgents used civilians as human shields as they entered the detachment. The NPA members reportedly fired at civilian communities before they withdrew.
“They publicly boasted the atrocities they have done against the people just to gain media mileage and propaganda,” Osias said.
Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, 4th ID commander, condemned the attack and vowed to run after the insurgents behind it.
“This incident only shows how cruel the NPA can be; they will hurt anyone even the people they claimed they are serving,” Felix said.
– With Alexis Romero