NPA Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part XI: Front 16 Goes for the Gold in Alegria, or Does It?

Alegria, a tiny municipality sitting along the shores of Lake Mainit, in Surigao del Norte Province, has a storied past vis a vis the insurgency, more than one would expect for such a non-descript town. In 1999 the NPA finally decided to organise within the general area, after sewing up the adjacent municipality of Kitcharao, in Agusan del Norte Province, the town I have been discussing in other Fourth Quarter NPA entries regarding the 30IB (Infantry Battalion) terrorising the town's Mamanwa Tribe in the Zapanta Valley.

When the NPA first organises it deploys a seven to fifteen person guerilla unit known as the "SYP," short for Sandatahang Yunit Pagpropaganda, which translated from the Tagalog basically means, "Armed Propaganda Unit." The SYP only moves in after a small but effective mass base of support has been established. Peasant Organisations, KMP for example, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Peasant Organization of the Philippines) helps to incite dirt poor-almost always- landless farmers. Organising a local branch of such organizations, which, inevitably are themselves constituent to the NDFP, or, National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the above-ground umbrella for all Hard Left organisations in the Philippines. The NDFP was founded in the early 1970s, by the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines), the political wing of the NPA equation, as a way in which to remain viable and at the forefront of the legal, above ground struggle versus the Marcos Dictatorship, but of course it has persevered for the quarter century since Marcos was toppled.

With a local chapter of a political organisation in place, NDFP activists agitate the local populace to organise, found "Barangay Committees" outside of the LGU (Local Government Unit) structure. In the Philippines, municipalities aren't constructed according to any Western model. There is a "municipality," which can very easily cover a 75 kilometer stretch of coastline. Within a given municipality there are "barangays," or "villages." Within each barangay, which can, like the municipality, be composed of disparate settlements, there are "sitios" or "puroks"- and one can even speak of another divisible unit within the purok or sitio, but for my purposes here, barangays are the smallest unit that needs to be examined.

Barangays are given de facto mayors known as "Barangay Chairmen," but usually referred to as "Barangay Captains." There is also a barangay council and both the Chairman and the Council are elected into office in an electoral process that is unsynchronised vis a vis the National Elections (which counter-intutively include the Mayoral and Provincial Gubernatorial Elections as well). As if that isn't confusing enough for you, Mindanao also has a Regional Election in the ARMM, or, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao. Again, this third election isn't synchronised with the other two.

The NDFP activists effectively organise a parallel, or "shadow government," but do so down to the sitio or purok level. Their "committees" are unlike the legal government's committees which devote time and energy to such non-sensical subjects (for Mindanao) as "tourism' and "sports." Instead, the parallel committees focus on real life issues that are incredibly important to villagers, issues like developing potable water systems that don't involve a two kilometer trek through hilly jungle. For the first time power is removed from the traditional Philippine power base, its ogliarchs and political dynasties, and instead offers the poorest of the poor the feeling (of course it is illusory) that their concerns and needs are finally being addressed.

Then the NPA SYP arrives and though they are armed, the villagers aren't afraid, because the SYP is presented as an extension of the previous organisational activity. The SYP organises village defence committees, what it calls, "Milisya ng Bayan," the Village Militia. Townspeople are drilled in the use of firearms and if by chance the guerilla unit, or "Front" with Operational Control of that given area, has somehow managed to fully arm its guerillas (which is almost never the case), the SYP may distribute revolvers and shotguns, or in extremly rare cases, a vintage Garand M1 to the "Milisya." Once a Milisya is organised, it serves mostly as an intelligence pool for a guerilla Front. Rarely, members will be utilised as NPA Irregulars, joining in large scale operations before melting back into their villages and returning to theor farm work and other day to day activities.

The most important purpose of the SYP is to provide cannon fodder for the NPA, young, expendable, men and women who take that small leap and become guerillas themselves, NPA Regulars. In 1999, in a town near Alegria, a 17 year old Lumad (Hilltribe) woman made that leap with her family's support and blessing. Jelyn Dayong was the eldest child of a landless peasant family. When the NPA's Front 16 (NEMRC or Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee) stopped in the Zapanta Valley, on the Agusan del Norte and Surigao del Norte Provincial borders, and suggested that Jelyn had the makings of a natural defender of the defenceless, and promised to help her extremly poor family provide for its youngest children, she readily followed the group into the jungle.

Unfortunately for Front 16, and more unfortunately for Jelyn, her time with the NPA ended abruptly, not long after joining the group. While trying to train Jelyn as a guerilla the then-leader of Front 16, Eusebio Gumaquit, known by the nom de guerre "Ka Irak," realised she would be more of a hinderance than a help. Therefore, he deployed Jelyn to an SYP Team. Although she would carry a rifle, she would probably never be involved in an armed contact with the AFP. On February 16th, 1999, the SYP Team entered the municipality of Alegria, in Surigao del Norte Province, and made its way along the shores of Lake Mainit, finally entering Barangay Perdida, a barangay that has since been dissolved, where it was tasked with forming a new Milisya in Sitio Baglamag. Unfortunately for the SYP, the AFP's 20IB (Infantry Battalion, "AFP" being the Armed Forces of the Philippines) was also in the sitio that day. Having just been transferred into that AOR (Area of Responsibility, as in "Area of Operation"), replacing the 29IB, and was spending time in every sitio in the sector so as to acclimate itself to the terrain.

Jelyn's SYP team was joined by three other guerillas , so as to cross train a number of new members as they themselves trained villagers, but even with ten Regulars was still woefully undermanned when her small group inadvertently crossed paths with the 20IB. The AFP managed to capture five rifles and a seriously wounded Jelyn, though she fared the best since the AFP killed the other nine in her detachment. Shot in her leg and pelvic bone, she was first taken to Caraga Regional Hospital in Surigao City before being airlifted first to Camp Bancasi in Butuan City, in Agusan del Norte Province, the 4ID (Infantry Division) support base, and then again ro Camp Evangelista, the 4ID's main camp. There in 4ID Hospital, her true age, 17, came to light. Not one to miss a propaganda opportunity, the 4ID broke not only Philippine Law BUT International Humanitarian Law and LOAC, the Laws of Armed Conflict as well. Philippine Law requires that any combatant under the age of 18 be turned over to the DSWD, or, Department of Social Welfare and Development, within 72 hours of the AFP taking custody. International Humanitarian Law, or IHL, mandates that juveniles not be identified when charged with serious crimes. LOAC mandates that enemy prisoners of war not be subjected to media exposure- something the AFP willfully contravenes with most any captured NPA member.

Naturally Jelyn Dayong's case became a cause celebre amongst the NDFP "human rights" groups like "Karapatan" and ao, it was only after a Writ of Habeus Corpus was filed and approved in April of that year that Jelyn surfaced, but by then she "begged" to remain within the "safe arms" of the AFP. Indeed, they used Jelyn terribly. Getting cash allotments from General Headquarters to "pay" for her public school education (P21,000 alone went for a "subsistence allowance"), they even made the poor girl "star" in a propaganda play about her capture ("Batan-on pa lang sa Kamatayan, or, "Too Young to Die"). At age 23, in 2003, finally graduating highschool, she was inducted into the 4ID where she eventually was deployed to its CMO (Civil Military Operations) Battalion as a clerk, married to a fellow soldier. Her family hates her, despite the AFP trying to bribe them with a 3 hectare lot in the Zapanta Valley, but Jelyn claims to be happy.

Since that memorable armed contact at the beginning of 1999, the NPA has steered wide and clear of the small town of Alegria. Aside from isolated cases of transiting to and fro through the municipality, Front 16 has simply let it be. Then, on November 18th, 2011, at 8PM, ten "guerillas" barged into the home of Danny Evarita in Alegria's Barangay Ombong, and demanded...GOLD. Mr.Evarita is one of the many "Treasure Hunters" who dream of finding "Yamashita's Gold" here on Mindanao. Never mind that General Yamashita never set foot on Mindanao, it is ebough to know that there were Japanese soldiers here for suck dreamy eyed fools, I mean innocents, I mean fools. Tired of people poking fun at him, Mr.Evarita boldly announced that he had found the motherlode. Not long after, ten men brandishing M16s, M14s, and M1s paid the Evarita household a visit.

Demanding "the gold," the gunmen said that they needed it to sell for cash so as to buy medicines for wounded colleagues. Mr.Evarita stumbled as he tried to explain that the truth of the matter was, he hadn't actually found any gold...or anything of value. Naturally this didn't go over too well and one of the men squeezed off three rounds from his M16, all of which met their mark. As Mr.Evarita lay on the floor whimpering in pain, the gunmen searched the home from top to bottom before leaving disgustedly with a mere P6,000 ($140). Withdrawing into Barangay Camp Edward (the new name for Barangay Geotina) the "guerillas" melted back into the jungle. Of course these weren't NPA guerillas who have a full array of medicines along with hospitals that gladly assist them.

Danny Evarita survived and made his way to Caraga Regional Hospital.

NPA Armed Contacts for the Fourth Quarter of 2011, Part III: Famous Last Words Come Back to Haunt the AFP in Surigao del Norte Province

In a recent "NPA Armed Contacts for the Third Quarter" entry I discussed how the 10ID (Infantry Division) has just declared South Cotabato Province to be "Insurgency Free." In that post I recalled just how the 4ID had done the same thing last year with regard to three provinces on Mindanao:

1) Misamis Oriental

2) Dinagat

3) Surigao del Norte

I noted how Misamis Oriental Province was anything BUT insurgency free, much like Surigao del Norte Province. Indeed, not only is Surigao del Norte still humming with NPA activitiy, it has just been the site of the most destructive act in the NPA's 42 years of existence and given the NPA's propensity for wanton destruction, that means a WHOLE LOT of destruction.

Just days after the leader of the NEMRC, or Northeast Mindanao Regional Committee, Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, in his concurrent capacity as the Mindanowan Spokesperson of the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines), gave one of his periodic warnings slash threats that the NPA would target mining and logging outfits due to their blatant disregard for the local Lumads (Animist Hilltribes) and lack of concern for the environment. Of course noone with any real knowledge of the NPA construed this as anything but a last warning to mining and/or logging companies to pay up on any delinquent "Revolutionary Tax" bills. Everyone within the NPA AOR, or Area of Responsibility (as in "Area of Operation") must cough up goods, services and/or cash. The rule of thumb is 20 to 25% of gross earnings so that even a peasant spending 16 hours a day, seven days a week up to his thighs in mud from his rice paddies must provide 2.5 sacks of rice for every 10 harvested. Conglomerates like the foreign-based multi-nationals raping Mindanao of its natural largesse are likewise taxed at 20 to 25% of their quarterly gross earnings prorated upon output from Mindanowan assets. In other words, a mining company with assets in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Australia in addition to operations on Mindanao, is only ever taxed at 20 to 25% of gross earnings per those assets on Mindanao while ignoring other output. If a company is operating in different regions of the Philippines the NPA Regional Committee for that particular AOR collects its taxes for those particular assets though rarely certain corporations have worked out a national "taxation" fee.

With the Government mantra of "Peace and Development Equals Plenty of Pesos" ringing in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) ears it is only natural that AFP brass might find themselves over eager to certify a province as "Pacified." As much as the Government is trying to put on a brave face about AFP corruption at the top of the food chain it is still many years, if not decades, from even considering doing the same vis a vis line officers out in the bush. With 70% of all AFP assets squarely centered on Mindanao one should have no problem seeing just how much of an issue corruption is on this island.

From "Ghost CAAs" (Fake Civilian Active Auxiliaries) to deployment of assets to better protect mining or logging operations for a considerable cash gratuity, corruption is the denominator in all AFP-multi-national relationships here. When a province is declared "Pacified" a Division CO, or Commanding Officer, can re-assure Security and Operations Officers of multi-nationals that they need not continue coughing up that hefty Revolutionary Tax every four to six months but instead lay a mere third of it on the AFP to further assure their operations of un-interrupted operations. On one hand this may seem counter-intuitive because the AFP promotional system is PARTLY performance based. If a CO prematurely declares a province "Pacified" and then, after re-positioning most AFP assets out of that province faces a slew of NPA tactical operations it would naturally reflect poorly on his command. However, when one understands that Division Commands almost never exceed 24 months per deployment the picture becomes oh so clear. It merely becomes something a successor must deal with and one can easily turn the tables in such a situation to a great advantage. Simply re-positioning assets back into that province will have a mitigating effect on NPA tactical operations and on paper will paint that successor as a highly capable officer and commander. It is win:win so far as AFP line officers are concerned.

The afore mentioned scenario of a prematurely declared "Pacification" is exactly what took place when 4ID (Infantry Division) had Surigao del Norte Province declared Insurgency Free in the Spring of 2010. By the autumn of that year 4ID had convinced, among others, Sumitomo controlled Nickel Asia Corporation to forgo those steep Revolutionary Tax payments. The NPA had redeployed its own assets into more important sectors confident that its financial base, aka Revolutionary System of Taxation, in Surigao del Norte Province was secure for the moment. The NPA then tried to convince those sources, including Nickel Asia, that had begun reneging on their "tax" obligations of the folly of their ways but when it became apparent that action was necessary the NPA began re-deploying assets back into the province. Still, boosted by the AFP whispering sweet nothings in its ear, most sources continued to refuse to play ball. The NPA then resolved to take drastic action.

On Monday morning, just before daybreak on October 3rd, 2011, NPA guerillas from Front 16, Front 21, and Front 31 of Madlos' NEMRC led a massive, highly co-ordinated attack against three mines and a huge mining process facility currently under construction. At 745AM two NPA checkpoints were implemented in Surigao del Norte Province:

1) Barangay Ladgaron, also known as Barangay Poblacion West in the municipality of Claver

2) Barangay San Isidro's Sitio Ba'oy in the municipality of Guigaquit, west of the first checkpoint and therefore covering the only other entrance into the targeted Barangay Taganito in Claver

At 820AM a grey coloured Toyota Grandia minivan carrying three middle-management executives employed by the Taganito Mining Corporation of Claver was stopped at the Barangay Ladgaron checkpoint. After quickly co-ordinating their next move Ka Artem of the NPA's Front 16 climbed into the executive's minivan along with three other cadres and set off for the Taganito Mining Corporation operation. Following behind were six dumptrucks full of NPA guerillas, but further enough behind so as to avoid prematurely alerting Taganito Mining's AFP-trained private security force.

At 915AM the executive's vehicle was breezily waved through the mine's outer perimeter without a second look from the security guards manning the gate. After being waved through the second and last perimeter gate the executives were made to exit the minivan within sight of that second guard post. Held by one guerilla with an M16 trained on them, Ka Artem and the two other guerillas quickly approached and disarmed the single security guard manning that second, inner guard post. Moving towards the outer perimeter with the three executives and one security guard now consolidated into a single group they came upon the first guard post and using the four captives as bait very easily disarmed the three guards on duty. At that point Ka Artem used an ICOM walkie talkie to order the six dump trucks full of guerillas to proceed.

At 935AM the six dump trucks had infiltrated to the inner guard post and the guerillas began fanning out. Taking Operations Officer Jose Anievas, Chief Foreman Roger Cabauatan, and Chief of Security, retired AFP Colonel Rene Perenal prisoner Ka Artem took the three men and two of the three mid-level executives first captured at the NPA checkpoint as he left the site and rendevouzed with a second NPA element outside of the 4K Mine operated by the Platinum Group Mining Corporation in Claver's Barangay Cagdiano. Using his hostages as cover Ka Artem almost effortlessly infiltrated the smaller nickel mining operation and after detaining its Operations Manager directed his guerillas in the destruction of everything in sight.

Meanwhile, back in Taganito Mining a detachment of the company's security guards failed to comply when ordered to turn over their weapons resulting in four guards having been shot to death. Ka Domingo, who was now directing the NPA at Taganito ordered a detachment of guerillas including an IED, or Improvised Explosive Device (as in "bombs") team to proceed to the adjoining barangay of Hayanggabon where Taganito Mining Port was located. Now in control of three separate sites:

1) TMC, or Taganito Mining Corporation, in Barangay Taganito in the municipality of Claver

2) PGMC, or the Platinum Group Mining Corporation at the 4K Mine in Claver's Barangay Cagdiano

3) TMP, or the Taganito Mining Port in Claver's Barangay Hayanggabon


300 guerillas went about sending a very firm message to anyone even considering reneging on their "Revolutionary Tax" obligation; at Taganito Mining Corporation:

four security guards were killed,

a guesthouse that had been the temporary home of 16 potential Japanese investors was burned to the ground as the investors were held at gunpoint,

41 Volvo tandem dumptrucks were burned totally by Molotov Cocktail,

17 wheeled payloaders (front end loaders) were likewise burned by Molotovs,

2 separate wheeled graders were also burned with Molotovs,

4 company owned SUVs were burned with Molotovs,

1 pickup truck was burned by Molotov,

3 track payloaders (front end loaders, as in bulldozers with buckets attached in place of blades) were also burned by Molotovs,

the administration building burned to the ground,

the assay lab burned to the ground,

one warehouse full of slag was burned to the ground,

the mechanic shoppe burned to the ground,

and the plant's electrical generating station was burned to the ground as well.

In addition, an unknown number of sidearms, pump shotguns, and assault rifles were captured to the tune of several dozen.

At Platinum Group Metals Corporation:

one security guard was killed when he tried to draw a sidearm,

91 tandem dump trucks, four dozen of which were Volvo tandem dump trucks obtained in mid-September, burned with Molotov Cocktails,

7 track excavators burned by Molotov,

2 road graders burned by Molotovs,

2 wheel payloaders (front end loaders) burned by Molotovs as well.

Twenty-eight 9MM pistols, 8 pump shotguns, 32 Kenwood walkie talkies were captured as well.

At the Taganito Mining Port:

Two barges full of ore were sunk,

6 ocean going tug-boats had their engines blown up with IEDs,

two ocean going freighters were blown up by IEDs and sunk,

the port's very large wharf was destoryed by IED as well.

Then, at just after 12PM, as the PRO-13, or Police Regional Office for Region 13's 13th Regional Public Safety Battalion's 132nd Company en route to Barangay Taganito was ambushed by the NPA Blocking Force in the municipality of Gigaquit with the NPA destroying two light APCs, or Armoured Personnel Carriers. PRO-13 CO, Director, Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal was with that five vehicle convoy and nearly lost his head, literally.

As that ambush was taking place Ka Artem was attacking the fourth target, the T-HPAL, or Taganito-High Pressure Acid Leaching facility directly adjacent to the Taganito Mining site that had served as the first target. The facility, which is an ecological nightmare aiming to milk nickel out of sulphide layers by highly corrosive acids injected under very high pressure is in the middle of construction and slated to have gone on line in 2013. The 60 odd Japanese construction workers on site were held at gunpoint along with Operations Manager Roger Alog as the IED team flexed its muscles again in trying to totally destroy the building. As they had their fun:

10 tandem dump trucks were burned with Molotov Cocktails,

8 backhoes were burned by Molotovs as well.

With that completed the NPA released all hostages and then withdrew in small groups. By 4PM there were firefights in several barangays and in three separate municipalities as the AFP tried to save face. The worst of those engagements took place in Claver's Barangay Daywan where firefights simeltaneously took place in four sitios. In the days that followed, with P5 Billion in damage, not including loss on parent corporations Asia Nickel and Sumitomo's share prices and loss of revenue the message sent by the NPA has been received loud and clear. Of course corporations always try to minimise such incidents and so, for example, Taganito Mining Corporation claims that this attack won't effect its output since it will simply source ore from its other local operations and claims that the attacked site was back online on October 5th, just two days after the attack. Suuuuuure.

Senior Superintendent Reynaldo Rafal, Director of PRO-13 was allowed to keep his job but three of his comrades in arms weren't nearly as lucky and were summarily relieved of duty:

1) Superintendent Rudy Cuyog, CO of the 13th Regional Public Safety Battalion, PRO-13

2) Senior Superintendent Emmanuel Talento, Director of the PPO, or Provincial Police Office for Surigao del Norte

3) Inspector Diomedes Cuadra, Chief of the Claver Municipal Police Office, or MPO

In dismissing all three PNP National Director General, Nicanor Bartoleme cited the massive NPA formations that went undetected.

The AFP took a couple of days more that the PNP but in the end AFP Chief of Staff, General Eduardo Oban summarily relieved Colonel Rodrigo Diapana, CO of the 402nd Brigade along with his Executive Officer, Colonel Cresente Maligmat who concurrently commanded Task Force Stinger, a command of which he was also relieved. The new CO of the 402nd Brigade is Colonel James Jacob, the Chief of Staff for the 4th ID. The new Executive Officer, or EXO of the 402nd Brigade is Colonel Victor Gealan, formerly Adjuant of the 4ID (it hasn't been decided as to whether the two will concurrently retain those former positions).

Ironically, as the NPA was screaming about how foreign based multi-nationals ruin Mindanao's environment, it was itself creating perhaps one of the worst ecological disasters to ever strike the island. Certainly this was the case in Surigao del Norte Province. Just using one of the vessels attacked that day as an example:

The M/V Con Carrier 7, owned by Alson Shipping, had 9,000 liters of diesel in its fuel tanks when the NPA laid its IEDs on it. It also had:

368 liters of engine oil

138 liters of hydraulic oil

Typical of the NPA's "deep thinking."