Charges readied vs NPAs in Davao Sur attacks

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) was readying charges against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels who swooped down on the police station in Matan-ao, Davao del Sur and pulled off the landmine attack on a truckload of soldiers on Monday morning. 

The NPA attacks resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including seven soldiers who were killed in the landmine blast. Government forces were pursuing the fleeing rebels when a landmine went off along a road in Barangay Saboy, Matan-ao town. 

Two policemen and two rebels were also killed when the insurgents raided the Matan-ao police station at around 4 a.m. last Monday.  

Eight other soldiers were wounded in the landmine explosion, and three others in the police station raid.  

“Right now they (CIDG men) are in a case conference. They are preparing the cases to be filed against the rebels,” Chief Superintendent Wency Pascual, Southern Mindanao police director, told The STAR yesterday.