As I have noted in other recent NPA entries the island of Mindanao has 4 provinces that have been officially pacified:
1) Misamis Oriental
2) Camiguin
3) Dinagat
4) Surigao del Norte
Being declared as such doesn't depend upon any type of established protocol. It is an entirely arbitrary decision made by the nearest ID CO (Infantry Division Commanding Officer). Upon making his decision the CO will formally turn over command and control of counterinsurgency operations to the Provincial Peace and Order Committee, or PPOC. From then on it is the PPO,or Provincial Police Office of the PNP (Philippine National Police) that handles the day to day aspects of what is supposed to be, at that point,a policing operation. Surigao del Norte Province was declared insurgency free in mid-April of 2010 along with the other 3 provinces, all of which lie within the AOR (Area of Responsibilty) of the 4ID (4th Infantry Division). Less than 2 weeks later, as if to thumb its nose at 4ID's then CO (Commanding Officer), Major General Mario Chan, the NPA disarmed a large security contingent escorting a campaigning incumbent mayor and absconded with all the weaponry. As I noted in my entry then, "Famous last words."
Since then the NPA's Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee under NDFP Spokesperson for Mindanao, Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, made a strategical decision to marshall its firepower in the more valuable Andap Valley Complex on the Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur provincial nexus. Though Surigao del Norte has a bit of chromite and nickel mining it pales in comparison to the gold and timber in Andap. Mining and Logging are two of the major cash cows of the NPA. Multi-national gold mines pay on average P1 Million ($22,000) a month in "Revolutionary Taxes." Everyone from the independent small scale miner to the person owning the ball mill offers up a percentage of their gross to avoid any problems, small trifling things, like a bullet in the face.
The modus operandi of the NPA is extremely basic Maoist in strategy and tactics as well as ideology. Strategically they ebb and flow, gravitating towards the weakest point as long as they have even a minimum base of support. This is why the NPA will ALWAYS break off contact if given the chance, which of course the AFP is always happy to provide. This allows the NPA to determine whether or not it will be unable to meet its well defined tactical objective within 15 to 30 minutes of launching an assault. If not, there is no sense in wasting valuable resources, withdraw, regroup, and live to try another day. With the province having been de-militarised it was only a matter of time before the NPA gravitated back into the province.
In early May of 2011 the NPA's Front 19A of the Northeast Mindanao Regional Commitee (NEMRC) began building momentum in a sector of Agusan del Norte Province very near the Surigao del Norte border, moving through a 50 kilometer radius, centered in Agusan del Norte Province's Zapanta Valley. On May 12th, thirty guerillas from Front 19A infiltrated Surigao City, the capitol of Surigao del Norte Province, via watercraft that landed in Barangay Silop. Moving inland they entered Barangay Luna and just before 10PM entered an unattended quarry. The night watchman, Pastor Apostado Quiban only makes periodic checks most nights. Targeting a Komatsu excavator, a TCM payloader, and an Isuzu dumptruck the guerillas poured gasoline over each piece. The owner of the equipment, Enrique Baguio,had refused to pay his "Revolutionary Taxes" despite recently gaining work as a subcontractor for Tinio Construction. Tinio in turn is a subcontractor for the Gaisano Capitol Group which is constructing a new mall, the Gaisano Capitol in that same barangay, Luna. Mr.Baguio's equipment is employed in excavating sand and gravel for the job. Lighting the gasoline the guerillas quickly exited the quarry and re-traced their route to the shore and left as they had arrived.
On May 25th the same thirty Front 19A guerillas re-entered the city and rendevouzed with a detachment of ten guerillas who had crossed overland by stolen truck. The guerillas quickly removed two dozen tyres from the vehicle and set them in a line across National Hiway in Barangay Bonifacio at two separate positions. Pouring gasoline over them the guerillas then set them on fire just as the sun began setting.Quickly moving they surrounded a compound in between the two burning roadblocks as six men entered through its open gates. Kicking in the frontdoor of Chary T.Mangacop's home, ex-Mayor of Placer in Surigao del Norte Province, they began ransacking the dwelling from top to bottom. Capturing three M16s and one 45 caliber pistol, two bulletproof vests, two ICOM base radios and four ICOM handhelds they then exited the home. Shooting out the left front tyre of Mangacop's SUV they then doused his minivan, straight truck, backhoe and two dumptrucks with gasoline which they then set on fire before exiting the compound and making their way to the shore for an escape by sea.
Mangacop, who was defeated in the May 10th, 2010 Election, claims that the guerillas also stole jewlery and a significant amount of cash. He says the cash was to be used as payroll for a mine he owns in Placer. The burned equipment belonged to his company, CTM Construction. The attack on the Mangacop compound was the second to strike Surigao City in two weeks. Knowing that the NPA element responsible, Front 19A was momentarily centered in the municipality of Kitcharao in neighbouring Agusan del Norte Province, the AFP's (Armed Forces of the Philippines) 30IB (Infantry Battalion) undertook a heavy push into Kitcharao. In fact, the 30IB had been operating in Kitcharao for two days already, even losing a soldier by sniper the afternoon before, or so says the NPA. Now deploying heavily and concentrating on the remote Barangay Bangayan in the Zapanta Valley, the operation commenced just 12 hours after the guerillas left the Mangacop compound. The 30IB began by softening up the ground with several hours of 81MM mortar shelling into the valley.
Of course Front 19A's main force hadn't been able to return to Kitcharao in the interim since its attack the preceding evening. There were 40 odd kilometers between the points but that didn't occur to the 30IB or its overlords in the 4ID (Infantry Division) which signed off on this large operation. So what were those long 81MM mortar shells hitting if there were no NPA guerillas?
The Zapanta Valley is home to a small band of Mamanwa Tribesmen. The Mamanwa are Negritos. Unlike the Lumad, the various Animist Tribes of Malay stock, the Negritos on Mindanao do not involve themselves in conflict in any part of the equation. In fear for their lives the Mamanwa fled to the barangay hall down hill but still they weren't out of the crosshairs. By the end of the month members of multi-sectoral front organisations like the two partist organisations Gabriela and Bayan Muna convinced the Mamanwa to travel 40 odd kilometers into Surigao City where they assured them they would be safe from harm.
In Surigao City's Barangay Luna, in Sitio Bacud, Bayan Muna representatives, assisted by the provincial chapter of the Rotary Club co-ordinated the IDPs (Internally Displaced Persons, a euphanism for "Refugees") arrival with Provincial Board member Leonilo Aldonza who donated the usage of an empty lot he owns. Quickly volunteers erected a tent city and so when the 147 members of thirty-seven Mamanwa families arrived they were able to move right in.
From their arrival on June 1st there was mounting tension between the IDP's supporters and detractors. Among the detractors were the city's Mayor, Enrique Matugas, and such community pillars as the Chairman of the local Chamber of Commerce. Some had the audacity to suggest that the Mamanwa weren't IDPs at all but rather actors in a psychodrama engineered by the aforementioned party list organisations. The Mayor was livid that he hadn't been consulted but unfortunately for him he didn't need to be apprised of anything. The IDPs were staying on a privately owned lot with the owner's full consent.
On June 10th, CAA Isidro L.Sanches was enjoying himself at a cockpit in Barangay Camamonan's Sitio Buya in the municipality of Gigaquit, in Surigao del Norte Province. As Sanches left the cock fight though, five guerillas from Front 16A of the NEMRC approached him and shot him to death with a 45 caliber pistol. CAAs,or Civilian Active Auxiliaries, are men serving in one of four entities that are themselves collectively known as "CAAs" as well. In Mr.Sanches' case he served with the CAFGU, or Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit. CAFGU platoons serve under an AFP NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer), known as a "CAFGU Cadre." Ostensibly under direct supervision of a cadre battalion, in this case the 23IB, in reality they aren't supervised all that much. The CAA serves as the lynchpin in the AFP's counterinsugency strategy.
On June 15th, the 30IB was on patrol in the municipality of Gigaquit's Barangay Lahi, when it stumbled upon six NPA guerillas from Front 16A of the NEMRC and initiated a firefight before allowing the small detachment of NPA to withdraw without casualties.
Later that same day, June 15th, in Surigao City's Barangay Poctoy two of the AFP's KM450 trucks carrying nine soldiers, all from the 30IB en route to a patrol in Barangay Mat-i, were ambushed by IED (Improvised Explosive Device, as in "bomb") which was followed by a cross-fire. The AFP returned fire with the Front 19A guerillas withdrawing without casualties on either side after 15 minutes.
On June 20th everybody's favorite rabid anti-Communist, ANAD Party List Congressman Pastor Jun Alcover jumped into the mix with a letter to CHR (Commission on Human Rights) Commissioner Etta Rosales urging her to"investigate" the IDPs ending up in Surigao City saying that the Government should determine who "forced" the Negritos to travel 40 kilometers into the city. His inference of course is that fellow Party List organisations Bayan Muna and Gabriela should be held liable. Pray tell, does Alcover plan to crucify the Rotary Club as well? For those unfamiliar with that organisation, they are an American-based group that is about Right Wing as it gets. On the same day the 30IB deployed a 6 X 6 truck to the lot housing the IDPs. When questioned on his intentions the 30IB's CO (Commanding Officer) LTC. (Lieutenant Colonel) Rommel P.Lamzon said that his men were only there to serve the terrified tribesmen and vehemently denied any suggestions that he had sent men in full combat array to try and force the 147 shell shocked Mamnwa back across the provincial border.
My favorite LTC.Lamzon quote has got to be his response to claims by the Negritos that his men had been lobbing 81MM mortar rounds into the Mamanwa's thatched huts. What did our gallant Lieutenant Colonel reply? "We always ensure that in all of our operations no civilians will be hurt or worse,k illed. "That's fantastic! The AFP is the only military in history to never incur Collateral Damage! My thought? The AFP is so used to lying through its teeth that the bullshi* just flows naturally. Even if the AFP had GPS mortars, and it does NOT, shells go errant. It is a fact of life. Launching mortars into a village of thatched huts where you haven't deployed spotters or scouts borders on a War Crime but hey, in the Southern Philippines that is a daily occurrence. Remember, this is a world where the AFP claims 6 year old girls carry M16s with grenade launchers, after killing the child of course.
On June 22nd the IDPs climbed aboard 3 dumptrucks and were driven home to Kitcharao, led by their tribal chief, Datu Rolando "Lando" Anlagan whose actual tribal name is "Maribuhok." Finally home in the Zapanta Valley the chief appealed to both the AFP and the NPA and asked them, politely, to take their war elsewhere.
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