A New Year morning clash between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA) happened in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro, various reports said.
The hostilities started early in Sitio Pambuhan that spilled over to Sityo Mamara, Barangay Cabacao of the said municipality, a Kodao source said.
Four Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) attack helicopters are involved in the attack, the source added.
Barangay Cabacao resident Roselyn Quiñones Villaflores posted two videos of the incident at past 9AM, one showing a helicopter circling overhead and unleashing machine gun fire at undisclosed targets.
Villaflores was heard begging for the hostilities to stop, later announcing in a separate post they are evacuating to safer locations.
Other residents comment in another video by Facebook page Usaping Occidental Mindoro that the firing had been non-stop for more than an hour.
The 76th Infantry Battalion (76th IB) of the Philippine Army announced that the clash started at about 6:20 in the morning.
The CPP meanwhile said it received reports of the clash, saying the involved NPA unit was able to withdraw from the site.
The NPA was in the area observing the ceasefire declaration and took advantage of the opportunity to render medical and other services to the local communities as well as mark with residents the turn of the new year, it said.
“The attack of the AFP shattered the peace in the area. In addition to unleashing a heavy volume of gunfire, the AFP deployed helicopter gunships to strafe and fire rockets, in complete disregard for civilian communities in the vicinity, causing stress and traumatizing residents,” the CPP said.
It added that it still has to determine the condition of the NPA unit involved.
Ceasefire ignored
The clash happened as the CPP and the NPA are observing the last of their four-day unilateral ceasefire declaration that ends before midnight tonight.
The CPP has ordered the NPA to maintain an active defense posture in case the AFP launch attacks against them during the ceasefire period.
The AFP meanwhile dismissed the CPP’s ceasefire gesture and said its military operations against the NPA shall continue through the holidays.
Two Philippine Army units, the 76th and 80th IBs, are operating in Abra de Ilog.
The said units had been recently prominent in news reports, including in the arrest of environmental defender and former Abra de Ilog mayoralty candidate Ramon Alcantara last December 23.
The 76th IB also allegedly abducted and tortured 47-year old Mangyan-Iraya Dolores Mariano Solangon last December 2.
An AFP-NPA clash happened in the area only last November 26, reportedly resulting in the death of at least two 76th IB troopers and the wounding of several others.
The 80th IB meanwhile had been accused of harassing international delegates and local participants of an international fact-finding and solidarity mission in Abra de Ilog last October. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
