On June 5th,2011 18 year old Renel Jeff Haganas,an NPA Irregular under Front 51,the Magtanggol Roque Command of the Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC) and a resident of Makilala in North Cotabato paid the ultimate price for having guided the AFP,or Armed Forces of the Philippines,in its search for Front 51's camp last March.As the teenager was walking in Barangay Biangan his fellow NPA guerillas approached him and shot him in the face.Often times,NPA member or not,the AFP will"interrogate"individuals in an extreme manner after which,no matter your convictions,you aren't left with very much choice but to comply with the military's demands.Having co-operated though,young Mr.Haganas made the fatal mistake of assuming his betrayal would remain undiscovered.The camp in question,in Makilala's Barangay New Israel,wasn't that important.In fact,iit wasn't even in use when the AFP"captured"it,but the act of co-operation isn't taken lightly by the NPA and so the young man was made an example of.
On June 11th Front 51 launched an assault under the command of"Ka Enoy"on a temporary post of the 6DRC,or 6th Division Reconaissance Company,under 1Lt (First Lieutenant) Rito Petinglay in Makilala's Purok #6 in Barangay Batasan.The 30 minute firefight ended up killing PFC.(Private First Class) Arnie Agata but the NPA was unable to overrun the post and so withdrew into the jungle on the lower slopes of Mount Apo.
Two days later,on June 13th,in the municipality of Arakan,also in North Cotabato Province,Front 51 launched an assault on a CAFGU post in Barangay Anapolon but withdrew without success as the CAAs repulsed the assault without incurring,nor inflicting,any casualties.CAFGU,or Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit,is one of four entities that collectively form the CAA (Civilian Active Auxiliary) programme,which is itself the cornerstone of the AFP's counterinsurgency programme.Members,known as"CAAs,"are enlisted from within the community of deployment.Receiving a minimum of military training they are then issued uniforms and AFP weaponry,usually ancient M1s (Garands).They serve under an AFP NCO (Non-Commisioned Officer) who serves as a cadre but are often deployed rudderless into the field.
That same day,June 13th in the municipality of Magpet's Sito Kata Kulo in Barangay Basak,also in North Cotabato Province, the NPA's Front 51 launched an ambush against two 6 X 6 trucks full of soldiers from the 57IB (Infantry Battalion) as it patrolled that sector.Ten guerillas detonated an IED (Improvised Explosive Device,as in"bomb") that disabled the first of the two trucks and then launched a cross-fire barrage that precipitated a 10 minute firefight.Neither side suffered any casualties before the NPA withdrew into the bush.
The next day,June 14th,the 57IB launched an assault on a nine bunker NPA camp in the municipality of Makilala.After a 3 hour engagement that ended just after 9AM the soldiers were able to lay claim to some very minor IED components and not much else.Five of the bunkers were underground showing that it had been a substantial position but as usual the AFP allowed the NPA a clear route of withdrawal as opposed to actually trying to neutralise their enemy.
On June 15th the AFP launched a major push into Makilala.Deploying most of 3 IBs,the 39th,40th and the 57th,they softened the ground with airstrikes by OV-10 Broncos and MG520 helicopters before unleashing the ground assault on June 16th.On June 13th engagements had created 240 IDPs,or Internally Displaced Persons (i.em"Refugees") but by the 16th there were nearly 3000 who as of today,June 27th,remain in limbo.The AFP finished its operation on June 18th and claimed to have killed 4 NPA guerillas,two of whom they fully identified:
1) Alexander Selano
2) Miguel Oscio
The NPA though says that none of its guerillas were killed and that those two names belong to villagers who are neither dead nor NPA members.Moreover,the NPA claims to have killed 7 soldiers.
On June 25th the Mayor of Makilala,Rudy Goagdan,announced that the municipality was implementing a new programme designed to triage AFP casualties in the field.One would imagine that a huge military like the AFP would have trained combat medics but it does not.Those rare soldiers cross trained as medics are not even equipped to deal with snakebite and so those unlucky enough to be wounded critically in the field more often than not don't make it to the landing point for the long helicopter ride to AFP Hospitals which are only found in Division Headquarters and even then do a piss poor job of caring for their wounded.The programme,"OPlan Sagip Buhay,"or,"Operational Plan Lifesaver,"is also being offered to NPA casualties.It seems that Mayor Goagdan is taking a cue from Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City.
Some might remember how in another recent"NPA Armed Contacts,Second Quarter of 2011"entry I discussed the AFP's Scout Rangers overrunning a huge NPA camp in the municipality of Cateel in Davao Oriental Province in late May.Among the NPA casualties were 3 guerillas extremely critically wounded.Evacuated by the NPA to a friendly hospital in Surigao del Sur Province their commander was still deeply concerned,especially so because the lone female casualty,Vanessa"Ka Eching"Tropico de los Reyes of Davao City's Calinan District is his lover.Having a working relationship with Vice Mayor Duterte he called in a big favour.Duterte then used the city's helicopter and personally rode on the flight to retrieve the three casualties whom he then delivered to Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City.Duterte's relationship with the NPA has unfortunately served as a model for other city mayors on Mindanao.
Back when Duterte was a City Prosecutor in the mid-1980s he began playing both sides of the fence.At the time Davao City was in open warfare with the NPA,the organisation then having a parallel government that controlled large portion's of the island'sargest city.In 1984 there was an upsurge in vigilantism inspired by NPA Surrenderees (NPA Defectors) who formed Right Wing paramilitaries.By 1986 the most powerful of the Right Wing groups,Alsa Masa,or Masses Arise,was enjoying an annual budget of US 9,000,a fortune even now in local standards,courtesy of the Davao City budget.Taking strategems learned from his father,a long serving governor of Davao Province (originally there was 1 province,long since sub-divided into four) and reached out to the NPA's powers that be.Consigning 4 of the city's outlying rural districts to the NPA,he received in exchange a commitment by the Maoist guerillas not to operate in any other part of the city.Having taken a terrible beating in other city districts the NPA cut its losses and agreed.
Duterte capitalised on the deal by riding it into cityhall in the mayoral elections.Not long after other local warlords cum mayors copied Duterte's gameplan and brokered deals of their own and so cities like Cagayan del Oro,Iligan,Butuan and Zamboanga avoided the bloodshed that has continued to soak the countryside.Another mayor who copied Duterte's deal with the devil was Francisco Rabat,a long serving mayor in the municipality of Mati,in Davao Oriental Province.Just as in Davao City Rabat kept the NPA out of the town proper by offering them carte blanche in rural,outlying portions of his municipality.In 2007 his daughter Michelle Rabat won the mayoral election and simply assumed that her father's agreement was transferrae to her administration.
On June 7th,2011 Ms.Rabat discovered,much to her suprise,that it wasn't.At 7PM that evening the town's newly installed CCTV system (Closed Circuit Television) zeroed in on the city's bus terminal.Located between that terminal and the adjoining public market was a small MPO (Municipal Police Office) post.Standing outside the post was PO3 Alfredo Salva,cradling his M16.The cameras watched as six men walked towards the post,four of them spreading out as sentinels.Two of the men continued walking towards the unsuspecting police officer and as one of them suddenly pointed a pistol at him,the other lunged for his M16.The quick thinking police officer instantly raised the barrel and shot both of them but as he did this one of the four sentinels ran over and shot the officer in the face with a 45 caliber pistol,instantly killing him.He then reached down and pried the M16 from his hands and disappeared into the evening with his three companions,leaving behind the other two guerillas,one of whom had already died.
Of the two NPA guerillas shot by Officer Salva,the fatality was identified as Ramil"Ka Bunso"Sallanes and the critically wounded guerilla was positively identified as Ariel"Ka Gary"Manuray,both of Front 18,the Wilfredo Zapanta Command,Southern Mindanao Regional Committee (SMRC).Manuray was transported to Davao City where he is being held at the same hospital as the aforementioned three wounded guerillas rescused by Vice Mayor Duterte,the Southern Philippines Medical Center.Guarded by AFP soldiers he also lies in critical condition.Mayor Michelle Rabat broke the virtual code of silence on June 25th and discussed the deal her father made.It is no secret to those dealing in the island's counterinsurgency mileu but the fact that the Mayor actually discussed it openly is a huge shock.That she did so hours before Makilala's Mayor Goagdan offered succor to wounded NPA guerillas does make the latter's offer much more understandable.As humane an offer as it is it is troubling that Government officials blur the lines in an already heavily intertwined dynamic.Battling the NPA is difficult enough without having officials cross the line from adversary to ally,all the while skippin disaffected bystander (as if any official on Mindanao could ever be one).
The Church-based sectoral front organisation"Exodus for Peace"is appealing to Major General Segovia of the 10ID (Infantry Division) to release those three NPA guerillas rescued by Vice Mayor Duterte of Davao City.The group reminded Segovia that the NPA always safely releases its AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police) POWs (Prisoners of War).The group says releasing the three would be a wonderful Goodwill Gesture to which Segovia responded that in fact the Government has accorded the NPA many Goodwill Gestures only to have the group repay the Government with bloody attacks.Besides Major General Segovia said,they were charged by the courts on June 5th with Frustrated Murder so it is now a judicial issue.
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