Charity Galvez grew up in the municipality of San Francisco, or as locals usually call it, San Franz, in the province of Agusan del Sur. Like most members of her Bisaya ethnicity, or those of means anyway, she was afforded a parochial education. In the late-1970s/early-1980s that meant boarding at Father Saturnino Urios College in Northeast Mindanao's largest population centre, Butuan City, in Agusan del Norte Province. Moving onto university Charity pursued, and gained, a degree in Education, realising her chilhood dream to teach and help others. Returning to her alma mater, Father Urios, Charity spent 8 years teaching young people.
Along the way Ms.Galvez ended up marrying her childhood sweetheart who had himself gained a job with the San Franz city government, ensuring that the town's municipal water supply remained safe and secure. With encouragement from her husband Ms.Galvez returned to university part time where she pursued a newly developed but avid interest in Criminology. By 2000 Charity had decided to change direction career wise and applied with the PNP, or Philippine National Police, hoping to be able to use her credentials in one capacity or another. In 2002 Ms. Galvez was given that chance when the PNP hired her as a technician and deployed her to the Agusan del Sur PPO, or Police Provincial Office in the provincial capital of Prosperidad.
By 2008 the highly determined woman wanted more and was able to take advantage of the PNP's Lateral Entry programme that affords PNP personnel the opportunity to laterally transfer departments while retaining accrued sniority and/or rank. This enabled Ms.Galvez to quickly rise to the PNP's second highest field rank, Inspector. Assigned to investigate criminal incidents throughout the province she was recognised as an able and dedicated officer. In April of 2011, just after returning to duty after giving birth the month before, she was named Chief of the Trento MPO, or Municipal Police Office. It was seen as a natural fit seeing as how the town of Trento sits immediately south of her hometown, San Franz.
Given a fifteen man garrison situated in the town's municipal compound in Barangay Poblacion she dove right into the thick of things by directing her force to construct fire positions throughout the compound, especially a large pile of tyres to the left of the MPO building, the compound's most vulnerable position. With an NPA attack on the Panabo City City Police Office having just taken place on March 20th Inspector Chief Galvez knew she needed to take a proactive stance. How much more so when on April 28th, just after having assumed command, another NPA attack against an MPO/CPO took place. Though the attack in the municipality of Lianga, in the adjoining province of Surigao del Sur had been unsuccessful, the first one, in nearby Panabo City, ended with the NPA overrunning that municipality's garrison resulting in the NPA capturing weapons and breaking morale. Moreover, that town's police force was decimated by PNP brass with noone suffering more than the Panabo City Chief of Police vis a vis the principle of Command Responsibility being first and foremost when the heads began to roll.
Hiring a yaya, or nanny, Chief Galvez began bringing her infant daughter (and yaya) to work where the three shared Chief Galvez's cramped corner office as a sort of home away from home. On July 30th, 2011 the three had once again settled in for a night's sleep. It had been an incredibly hectic day for Ms.Galvez. The Provincial Chief of Police had finally granted her long standing request for reinforcements and had deployed two teams from Agusan del Sur's PPSCs, or Police Public Safety Companies. The municipality's southern sectors were badly in need of men to handle the rampant illegal logging trade. Aside from the violence that goes hand in hand with any illicit trade the NPA had attacked a logging checkpoint in Trento's Barangay Pulang Lupa. Killing three men the guerillas also captured two police officers. Though the attack took place on February 1st, two months before Chief Galvez assumed command, it was a surefire reminder of the municipality - and her job's vulnerabilities.
At 330AM, July 31st, a police sentry noticed 3 Isuzu Forward trucks drive slowly into the centre of town and park at 3 strategic points. Recognising that something was wrong he alerted fellow officers but before any of them could take appropriate action M203 rifle grenades began hitting inside the compound. The 40 guerillas from Front 3 (Alejandro Lenaja Command, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee or SMRC) and Front 20 (Conrado Heredia Command, SMRC) had taken up positions around the compound's perimeter and in an unusual touch, employed an M60 whose massive rounds began pockmarking the facade of the station itself.
Awoken from her fitful sleep Inspector Chief Galvez quickly ushered her yaya and infant daughter into a small closet at the rear of her office. She then grabbed an M16 and attempted to take a position at the station's front door in between each massive barrage from the NPA's M60. Bolstered by the two PPSC teams that had been deployed to her garrison just the afternoon before Inspector Galvez was able to stave off the assault while only losing one man and two officers suffering only moderate wounds. The lone fatality, Salvador Ralla Jr. of Trento, was the station's gofer. Each MPO, or CPO in the case of cities, unofficially employs at least one local civilian as a general helper and an errand boy. Mr.Ralla was killed after engaging the attackers with an M16. Unable to overun the compound the NPA guerillas split into small groups and withdrew in different directions, in the trucks which were abandoned a short distance from the town centre. Then, still in 3 groups, the NPA withdrew into the Diwata Mountains towards the northeast.
The two wounded police officers, a PO1 with the newly deployed PPSC teams and a PO3 with the MPO were bundled into a PNP van and rushed north for the long 120 kilometer ride to Butuan City for treatment. However, as the van reached Manat Bridge, or Crossing Manat as it is known locally, an NPA detachment serving as a Blocking Force detonated an IED (Improvised Explosive Device, as in "bomb") in an ambush. The van was untouched by the explosion and quickly sped away unscathed, continuing on to Butuan City. Likewise, not long after an Armed Forces of the Philippines, or AFP truck from the 75IB (Infantry Battalion) ALSO averted catastrophe from a second IED detonation on the opposite end of the bridge as it rushed into Trento to reinforce the MPO. Like the first attempted ambush the latter incident failed to incur any casualties or damage.
Unfortunately, a second NPA detachment, part of an estimated 200 man force positioned strategically around the town's main entrances managed to launch a more successful ambush. Serving as a Blocking Force near that aforementioned logging checkpoint in Barangay Pulang Lupa, it ambushed a truck carrying CAFGU CAAs into town as reinforcements. CAFGU, or Civilian Auxiliary Force Geographical Unit is the cornerstone of the AFP's COIN, or Counterinsurgency programme. A military reserve unit under the command of a cadre battalion from the AFP, it is restricted to operating within a certain municipality wherein all soldiers serving in it reside. CAFGU soldiers are known as CAAs, or Civilian Active Auxiliaries. In this case the CAFGU detachment in question was from the adjoining municipality of Santa Josefa. As the truck carrying the CAAs sped through Pulang Lupa the NPA iniated a barrage of rifle fire that killed one CAA, Vergilio Perocho.
In clearing the town centre the 75IB recovered an abandoned utility van used by one of the NPA Blocking Force detachments, but nothing more. As usual the NPA managed to avoid hundreds of "pursuing" soldiers, police officers, and CAAs. The next day, August 1st, 2 gunshot victims entered Bislig District Hospital in Bislig City, in Surigao del Sur Province, nearly 90 kilometers from the Trento municipal compound. Bislig City's CPO arrested both men:
1) Sammy Calibayan, age 35, of Barangay La Fortuna in the municipality of Veruela, in Agusan del Sur Province
2) Ricky M. Salde, age 28, from the municipality of New Bataan in Compostela Valley, or Comval Province.
In a weak attempt to protect co-operating hospital personnel the PNP claims that a vigiliant civilian sent an SMS (text message) concerning the two gunshot victims. Taking both men from the hospital the officers transported the two suspects to CPO Headquarters where both reportedly admitted having taken part in the attack in Trento. Of course such admissions hold absolutely no value. To offer a tad bit of perspective, in a recent incident I will be posting about a bit later, a suspected Abu Sayyaf guerilla was nabbed by AFP Intelligence agents in Basilan Province. To gain HIS admission they chained him spread eagled and naked. Then using a 1 liter glass cola bottle they gave the man a gasoline enema. As if that wasn't enough they then used an oxy-acetylene torch on the suspect's genitals and face. Even worse, this took place BEFORE the encounter on Jolo Island that killed seven AFP Marines, two of whom were then decapitated. Again, an incident I will cover soon.
On Monday, August 8th, the PNP held its 110th Anniversary Celebration at its headquarters in Metro Manila's Camp Crame. Inspector Chief Galvez was on hand to join in the festivities. Indeed, she was the focal point of the celebration as President Aquino awarded her the PNP's highest decoration, the Medal for Bravery for "conspicuous courage and gallantry in action." In addition, while at the podium, the President turned to Secretary Jesse Robredo of the DILG and asked him why he hadn't also promoted Ms.Galvez. The DILG, or Department of the Interior and Local Government is the branch under which the PNP serves. By the end of the President's remarks Inspector Chief Galvez had evolved into Senior Inspector Chief Galvez, having obtained the PNP's highest field rank in just three years of actual service.
That same day, Monday, August 8th, the AFP began a major push against the NPA in and around Trento. Using two MG520 helicopter gunships with two Hueys on site the 75IB led the way. Unfortunately a corporal from the 26IB and a CAA from the Bagani Force were both killed:
1) Corporal Antonio Manser T.Morgadez, Cadre Officer, 26IB
2) CAA Ricky Lantong, Bagani Force, aged 40 and a resident of Barangay Kasapa in the municipality of La Paz in Agusan del Sur Province
The two fatalities took place at Sitio Kilometer 2 in the municipality of Loreto's Barangay Binocayan when a Bagani Force detachment under Datu Dario "Malampuson" Otaza with cadre officer Corporal Morgadez commanding stumbled across an NPA detachment from Front 34 (Davao-Agusan Command, Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee, or NEMRC) at 7AM. The subsequent firefight lasted until 9AM and resumed again at 5PM after a second chance encounter before petering out just after 10PM that same night. The AFP has been proudly declaring that it killed 13 NPA guerillas between those two engagements but of course they haven't recovered a single body.
Showing posts with label Alejandro Lenaja Command. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alejandro Lenaja Command. Show all posts
Friday, August 12, 2011
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
NPA Armed Contacts for the Second Quarter of 2011,Part II:Release of 2 Captured Soldiers and the Battle for a 200 Man Camp in Davao Region
Sunday,May 29,2011 was a day to remember for the families of 2 captured AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) soldiers.With little warning they found that their loved ones would finally be coming home after a difficult 45 days as"guests"of the NPA.On April 14 Corporal Delfin Largo Sarocam and Private First Class (PFC) Jayson Burgos Valenzuela of the 57IB (Infantry Battalion) were escorting a former Barangay Kagawad (Councillor) Eliory Lastimosa to a community forum to orient the community on the AFP's plans to deploy a PDT (Peace and Development Team,"Hearts and Minds"mechanism that serves as the cornerstone of the present Counterinsurgency (COIN) Programme,"Operational Plan-aka OPlan-Bayanihan") into the community.
As the 3 men entered the barangay in question,Datu Puas Inda,in the North Cotabato Provincial municipality of President Roxas,they came to an NPA checkpoint manned by 20 guerillas in Sitio Dalinding.Having been waiting especially for the 3 the guerillas quickly moved to divest the soldiers of their 45 caliber sidearms and then just as rapidly bundled them off into the jungle as prisoners of Front 53,the Herminio Alfonso Command (SMRC aka Southern Mindanao Regional Committee,1 of 5 NPA Regional Committees on Mindanao).Marched overland on foot they were initially taken to a Front 53 Camp in the neighbouring town of Arakan before later being transferred to Front 20,the Conrado Heredia Command,the custodial unit for the SMRC as a whole.
As has been the case for the last 3 years the capture was almost a non-event.These goings on have become oh so common place and downright predictable.Soldiers or police officers are held for up to 90 days during which the NPA engages in repetitive propaganda exercises and issues grandiose statements to the media about the Hague and the Geneva Conventions.Local politicians and Catholic clergymen participate in this almost surreal psychodrama as the poor families of these captured soldiers lay in bed crying,wondering whether or not they will ever see their husbands,sons and fathers again.Of course they will,it is already scripted but noone outside this very narrow mileu understands that.Indeed,even most within this small world couldn't care less and so it continues.
On April 28th the requisite POL (Proof of Life) was released to the powers that be.An audio tape of each captive telling their loved ones not to worry and that they are getting enough sleep and adequate food was passed out with the de riguer"They are treating me very well."In fact they should just mass produce these POLs and simply leave the names blank,filling them in as they go.The POL package included a photo of each prisoner holding up a recently dated local newspaper so as to verify the POL's currency.Both men asked the AFP to cease and desist in their Search and Rescue Operations.Not even AFP personnel want to be rescued by the AFP.The"shoot first and don't even bother asking questions ever"mentality is enough to make any non-suicidal person nervous.The only unusual aspect was Corporal Sarocam's request that the Iglesia ng Kristo (Church of Christ) negotiate for his release.
Not to be confused with the Western-based denomination"Church of Christ,"this denomination is a homegrown sect that imparts messianic qualities to its late founder.A very rich group,as well it should be since adherants must pay cash fines for every prayer meeting and Bible study they fail to attend (or even arrive late for).Obviously Sarocam is a member and the message is code for,"Pay my fuc*en' ransom FAST."The NPA,like any insurgent organisation is continuously strapped for cash.It isn't easy when you have to pay P45 ($1.05) per 5.56MM bullet when buying from your local IB CO (Commanding Officer).Hey,at 1 US a day combat per diem you can't blame the AFP,they have needs just like the rest of us.
Fast forward to May 29th,North Cotabato Provincial Vice Governor Gregorio Ipong and Catholic Church Negotiator Father Paul Paracha eagerly drove to Barangay Balite in the provincial municipality of Magpet to await directions from Fr.Paracha's NPA contact on where to retrieve the 2 soldiers.Upon entering the barangay they were directed by cell phone to the outlying sitio of Laquiahon where the NPA had prepared its usual circle jer* of a love fest,everyone smiling for the cameras,assigned seats for local politicos and Church"leaders."The 2 soldiers then joined the priest and Vice Governor for the long drive to Kidapawan City in South Cotabato Province where they were reunited with their families at Bishop Romulo de la Cruz's Official Residence in Barangay Balindog.The Kidapawan Diocese needed to get its money's worth of publicity having had to shell out a pretty penny for PFC.Valenzuela's ransom.
On the same day that Valenzuela and Sarocam were enjoying a very brief respite before IS-AFP (AFP Intelligence Service) Debriefing began,their compatriots were busy elsewhere on the island.
The Scout Rangers 2nd Battalion,6th COY (Company) on a Recon (Reconnaisance Op) in the municipality of Cateel in Davao Oriental Province stumbled across a column of NPA guerillas from the aforementioned Front 20 and the 30 minute firefight led to the AFP rushing blindly through the dense jungle in a rarely launched Hot Pursuit Operation (despite the claims of the AFP to undertake such operations under its SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure).Why do it then?As I noted earlier in this entry Front 20,the Conrado Heredia Command,is the custodial unit of that particular NPA Regional Command,SMRC (Southern Mindanao Regional Committee).Though both captured soldiers had already been released in North Cotabato Province the AFP doesn't immediately relay these facts to its field units.The 6th Scout Ranger COY saw an opportunity to earn accolades by"rescuing"2 of their comrades in arms.
How did our fearless defenders of the Philippines aim to conduct their"Rescue Op"?Discovering a huge 200 man camp in the middle of densely packed jungle in Barangay Aliwagwag's Sitio Carampel (Karimpel) the 40 Scouts,under Capt.Aunor Balansi crawled on their bellies to within 30 meters of the camp's outlying bunkers.Setting up a loose perimeter (think of a noose,opened at one end so as to allow a clear avenue of escape).The camp also housed Front 25,the SMRC's Regional Operations Command and also served as a logistical hub for SMRC Fronts at the northern end of the SMRC's area of operations.Therefore,as luck would have it,members of Front 15,the Antonio Nerio Command were also on site.
The AFP's official narrative claims that its men crawled on their bellies to within 30 meters of the camp's large bunkers.This is not the usual AFP way in which to launch an attack but the locale is so deeply forested as to be inaccessible even to fast roping infiltration by helicopters (as IF the AFP EVER does THAT),meaning it is incredibly thickly covered with rain forest flora.So,the 30 meters bit is absolutely believable.Likewise so is the AFP boast that they opened fire on what would have been unarmed guerillas.However,to assault a 200 man camp under the element of full suprise and still fail to retrieve a single captured prisoner or even a single KIA (Killed in Action,as in dead guerillas) just defies belief.
The usual AFP "assault"involves an opened perimeter.As I noted just above,picture an open noose,laid around a camp.Now,if you are a capable officer you deploy a Blocking Force along that open end of the"noose"which serves as an avenue of escape,if not actually tying the noose shut to prevent any escape to begin with.The Blocking Force serves to mop up those guerillas rushing headlong out of the camp hoping to avoid capture or annihilation.Imagine 200 dead or captured guerillas?What a coup that would be for the AFP.In reality the AFP almost always leaves a clear avenue for escape sans Blocking Force.The camp is the prize,not its personnel.
To show you how worthless the AFP mindset is,that very same camp had been captured in June of 2010.
The 25IB had been on a Search and Rescue Op for...deja vu...2 captured AFP soldiers:
1) Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Arguelles
2) CAFGU Job Latiban
who like the soldiers mentioned at the beginning of my post had been captured at an NPA checkpoint in ComVal's (Compostela Valley Province) Monkayo,a town immediately adjacent to Cateel despite the provincial border.In that"assault"a 30 minute firefight ended with Front 20,Front 25 and Front 3,the Alejandro Lanaja Command,escaping down that requisite unmolested avenue.
In the May 29th"capture"the AFP was able to claim an actual victory in the caprure of 5 rifles:two M16s,two M14s and one M4.The June,27,2010 capture resulted in 4 IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices,as in homemade bombs) and 6 rifles whose make and variation I noted in the NPA Armed Contact/Tactical Offence entry for the relevant time period.This latest camp"capture"resulted in 3 AFP WIAs (Wounded in Actions) though the NPA is ALSO claiming to have killed 8 men there as well,including 2 junior officers.
In terms of NPA casualties there were 2 guerilla KIAs and 4 WIAs,3 of which are extremely critical.Interestingly the Front 20 contact person contacted everybody's favourite mass murderer,Vice Mayor Rodrigo"Roddy"Duterte and asked him for assistance in saving the lives of those 3 critically injured insurgents.As I noted recently Duterte long ago entered into a working relationship with the NPA's Leonicio"Ka Parago"Pitao in which Duterte"sold"him the right to operate in 4 of the city's outlying districts.
The 3 wounded guerillas:
1) Jason"Ka Jerome"Casilum,of Davao City's Calinan District
2) Ariel"Ka Diwa"Haducala,of Dinagat Island which may or may not be a province of its own depending upon the day you read this.If it isn't it will still be Surigao del Norte Province.The Supreme Court can't make up its mind on the issue.
3) Vanessa"Ka Enching"Tropico de los Reyes,also of Calinan District,Davao City
were retrieved on Wednesday,June 1st by a Davao City helicopter in which Duterte personally rode shotgun (the same copter which he openly brags about having used it to drop people head first into the ocean).The 3 were then airlifted to Davao City where Duterte has personally vowed to protect them from apprehension (hope his vow means more than it did this past Christmas when it led to Edwin Brigano's capture).The 3,along with the 4th wounded guerilla were originally taken to an NPA-friendly hospital in Bislig,Surigao del Sur Province.Virtually all NPA-friendly hospitals are in deplorable condition so that Front 20 Secretary,known by the nom de guerre"Ka Jess,"felt compelled to call in a big favour to Vice Mayor Duterte.This would never have happened had the female guerilla,Ms.de los Reyes not been Ka Jess' lover.Sadly she is now parapelgic since a bullet severed her spinal cord.She also lost 1 kidney so that her condition is extremely grave.Her shocked mother believed her daughter had been teaching Political Science at a public university in Davao City,suprise...suprise...suprise.
Touching down at 3AM on June 2nd the 3 were rushed to Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City where they remain as of this posting.
As the 3 men entered the barangay in question,Datu Puas Inda,in the North Cotabato Provincial municipality of President Roxas,they came to an NPA checkpoint manned by 20 guerillas in Sitio Dalinding.Having been waiting especially for the 3 the guerillas quickly moved to divest the soldiers of their 45 caliber sidearms and then just as rapidly bundled them off into the jungle as prisoners of Front 53,the Herminio Alfonso Command (SMRC aka Southern Mindanao Regional Committee,1 of 5 NPA Regional Committees on Mindanao).Marched overland on foot they were initially taken to a Front 53 Camp in the neighbouring town of Arakan before later being transferred to Front 20,the Conrado Heredia Command,the custodial unit for the SMRC as a whole.
As has been the case for the last 3 years the capture was almost a non-event.These goings on have become oh so common place and downright predictable.Soldiers or police officers are held for up to 90 days during which the NPA engages in repetitive propaganda exercises and issues grandiose statements to the media about the Hague and the Geneva Conventions.Local politicians and Catholic clergymen participate in this almost surreal psychodrama as the poor families of these captured soldiers lay in bed crying,wondering whether or not they will ever see their husbands,sons and fathers again.Of course they will,it is already scripted but noone outside this very narrow mileu understands that.Indeed,even most within this small world couldn't care less and so it continues.
On April 28th the requisite POL (Proof of Life) was released to the powers that be.An audio tape of each captive telling their loved ones not to worry and that they are getting enough sleep and adequate food was passed out with the de riguer"They are treating me very well."In fact they should just mass produce these POLs and simply leave the names blank,filling them in as they go.The POL package included a photo of each prisoner holding up a recently dated local newspaper so as to verify the POL's currency.Both men asked the AFP to cease and desist in their Search and Rescue Operations.Not even AFP personnel want to be rescued by the AFP.The"shoot first and don't even bother asking questions ever"mentality is enough to make any non-suicidal person nervous.The only unusual aspect was Corporal Sarocam's request that the Iglesia ng Kristo (Church of Christ) negotiate for his release.
Not to be confused with the Western-based denomination"Church of Christ,"this denomination is a homegrown sect that imparts messianic qualities to its late founder.A very rich group,as well it should be since adherants must pay cash fines for every prayer meeting and Bible study they fail to attend (or even arrive late for).Obviously Sarocam is a member and the message is code for,"Pay my fuc*en' ransom FAST."The NPA,like any insurgent organisation is continuously strapped for cash.It isn't easy when you have to pay P45 ($1.05) per 5.56MM bullet when buying from your local IB CO (Commanding Officer).Hey,at 1 US a day combat per diem you can't blame the AFP,they have needs just like the rest of us.
Fast forward to May 29th,North Cotabato Provincial Vice Governor Gregorio Ipong and Catholic Church Negotiator Father Paul Paracha eagerly drove to Barangay Balite in the provincial municipality of Magpet to await directions from Fr.Paracha's NPA contact on where to retrieve the 2 soldiers.Upon entering the barangay they were directed by cell phone to the outlying sitio of Laquiahon where the NPA had prepared its usual circle jer* of a love fest,everyone smiling for the cameras,assigned seats for local politicos and Church"leaders."The 2 soldiers then joined the priest and Vice Governor for the long drive to Kidapawan City in South Cotabato Province where they were reunited with their families at Bishop Romulo de la Cruz's Official Residence in Barangay Balindog.The Kidapawan Diocese needed to get its money's worth of publicity having had to shell out a pretty penny for PFC.Valenzuela's ransom.
On the same day that Valenzuela and Sarocam were enjoying a very brief respite before IS-AFP (AFP Intelligence Service) Debriefing began,their compatriots were busy elsewhere on the island.
The Scout Rangers 2nd Battalion,6th COY (Company) on a Recon (Reconnaisance Op) in the municipality of Cateel in Davao Oriental Province stumbled across a column of NPA guerillas from the aforementioned Front 20 and the 30 minute firefight led to the AFP rushing blindly through the dense jungle in a rarely launched Hot Pursuit Operation (despite the claims of the AFP to undertake such operations under its SOP,or Standard Operating Procedure).Why do it then?As I noted earlier in this entry Front 20,the Conrado Heredia Command,is the custodial unit of that particular NPA Regional Command,SMRC (Southern Mindanao Regional Committee).Though both captured soldiers had already been released in North Cotabato Province the AFP doesn't immediately relay these facts to its field units.The 6th Scout Ranger COY saw an opportunity to earn accolades by"rescuing"2 of their comrades in arms.
How did our fearless defenders of the Philippines aim to conduct their"Rescue Op"?Discovering a huge 200 man camp in the middle of densely packed jungle in Barangay Aliwagwag's Sitio Carampel (Karimpel) the 40 Scouts,under Capt.Aunor Balansi crawled on their bellies to within 30 meters of the camp's outlying bunkers.Setting up a loose perimeter (think of a noose,opened at one end so as to allow a clear avenue of escape).The camp also housed Front 25,the SMRC's Regional Operations Command and also served as a logistical hub for SMRC Fronts at the northern end of the SMRC's area of operations.Therefore,as luck would have it,members of Front 15,the Antonio Nerio Command were also on site.
The AFP's official narrative claims that its men crawled on their bellies to within 30 meters of the camp's large bunkers.This is not the usual AFP way in which to launch an attack but the locale is so deeply forested as to be inaccessible even to fast roping infiltration by helicopters (as IF the AFP EVER does THAT),meaning it is incredibly thickly covered with rain forest flora.So,the 30 meters bit is absolutely believable.Likewise so is the AFP boast that they opened fire on what would have been unarmed guerillas.However,to assault a 200 man camp under the element of full suprise and still fail to retrieve a single captured prisoner or even a single KIA (Killed in Action,as in dead guerillas) just defies belief.
The usual AFP "assault"involves an opened perimeter.As I noted just above,picture an open noose,laid around a camp.Now,if you are a capable officer you deploy a Blocking Force along that open end of the"noose"which serves as an avenue of escape,if not actually tying the noose shut to prevent any escape to begin with.The Blocking Force serves to mop up those guerillas rushing headlong out of the camp hoping to avoid capture or annihilation.Imagine 200 dead or captured guerillas?What a coup that would be for the AFP.In reality the AFP almost always leaves a clear avenue for escape sans Blocking Force.The camp is the prize,not its personnel.
To show you how worthless the AFP mindset is,that very same camp had been captured in June of 2010.
The 25IB had been on a Search and Rescue Op for...deja vu...2 captured AFP soldiers:
1) Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Arguelles
2) CAFGU Job Latiban
who like the soldiers mentioned at the beginning of my post had been captured at an NPA checkpoint in ComVal's (Compostela Valley Province) Monkayo,a town immediately adjacent to Cateel despite the provincial border.In that"assault"a 30 minute firefight ended with Front 20,Front 25 and Front 3,the Alejandro Lanaja Command,escaping down that requisite unmolested avenue.
In the May 29th"capture"the AFP was able to claim an actual victory in the caprure of 5 rifles:two M16s,two M14s and one M4.The June,27,2010 capture resulted in 4 IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices,as in homemade bombs) and 6 rifles whose make and variation I noted in the NPA Armed Contact/Tactical Offence entry for the relevant time period.This latest camp"capture"resulted in 3 AFP WIAs (Wounded in Actions) though the NPA is ALSO claiming to have killed 8 men there as well,including 2 junior officers.
In terms of NPA casualties there were 2 guerilla KIAs and 4 WIAs,3 of which are extremely critical.Interestingly the Front 20 contact person contacted everybody's favourite mass murderer,Vice Mayor Rodrigo"Roddy"Duterte and asked him for assistance in saving the lives of those 3 critically injured insurgents.As I noted recently Duterte long ago entered into a working relationship with the NPA's Leonicio"Ka Parago"Pitao in which Duterte"sold"him the right to operate in 4 of the city's outlying districts.
The 3 wounded guerillas:
1) Jason"Ka Jerome"Casilum,of Davao City's Calinan District
2) Ariel"Ka Diwa"Haducala,of Dinagat Island which may or may not be a province of its own depending upon the day you read this.If it isn't it will still be Surigao del Norte Province.The Supreme Court can't make up its mind on the issue.
3) Vanessa"Ka Enching"Tropico de los Reyes,also of Calinan District,Davao City
were retrieved on Wednesday,June 1st by a Davao City helicopter in which Duterte personally rode shotgun (the same copter which he openly brags about having used it to drop people head first into the ocean).The 3 were then airlifted to Davao City where Duterte has personally vowed to protect them from apprehension (hope his vow means more than it did this past Christmas when it led to Edwin Brigano's capture).The 3,along with the 4th wounded guerilla were originally taken to an NPA-friendly hospital in Bislig,Surigao del Sur Province.Virtually all NPA-friendly hospitals are in deplorable condition so that Front 20 Secretary,known by the nom de guerre"Ka Jess,"felt compelled to call in a big favour to Vice Mayor Duterte.This would never have happened had the female guerilla,Ms.de los Reyes not been Ka Jess' lover.Sadly she is now parapelgic since a bullet severed her spinal cord.She also lost 1 kidney so that her condition is extremely grave.Her shocked mother believed her daughter had been teaching Political Science at a public university in Davao City,suprise...suprise...suprise.
Touching down at 3AM on June 2nd the 3 were rushed to Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City where they remain as of this posting.
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