Press Statement
4 April 2010
Totally humbled and chastised for having his Cafgus disarmed right under his nose, Manny Piñol with the 57th IB and the 40th IB – AFP have launched a program of retaliation and persecution against ordinary, hapless civilians and his very own constituents. He has ordered a massive military operation in the outlying barrios of Mlang, Makilala and Tulunan, including the peace zone areas. This fascist anti-people operation is a desperate move by a notorious despot who wants to perpetuate himself in power.
But the people and its army, the NPA, will not take this policy of persecution sitting down. They have no other recourse but to fight back and defend themselves – as they have done these past few days, to wit: sniping operations by the NPA in Brgy Bituan against the 57th IB under Lt. Domingo. The following day, March 30, another sniping operation was launched, this time against the forces of the 40th IB in Sitio Salvan, Brgy Banayal, Tulunan where the enemy suffered three casualties.
Harrasment operations were also conducted by the people’s army against abusive Cafgu detachments in Paraiso, Tulunan and in Luna Sur, Makilala.
Having failed miserably to hit the NPA, the operating soldiers have taken it out on the innocent and hapless civilians living in the Zone of Peace. On April 1, contingents of the 57th IB raided Sityo Alimodian, Brgy Banayal and in blatant violation of the peace zone agreement raided and searched the house of the Peace Zone Chairman Jessie Capasgurdo where the enemy planted a hand grenade to justify their presence. An old woman, a neighbor of the Capasgurdos who witnessed the incident was so terrified she had to be rushed to the hospital.
Still on April 1, the house of another innocent civilian Minda Embate, in San Isidro, Nabundasan, was raided and searched by the 57th IB where they planted a rifle, again to justify their presence in the peace zone.
Vice-Gov Piñol has deluded himself into thinking that the people’s war is just about his recalcitrance to pay permit to campaign fees and other obligations to the People’s Revolutionary Government. Lest he forget, he has a case pending with the People’s Court and the masses of North Cotabato have not forgotten his blood debts, landgrabbing and other notorious anti-people activities. He would be well advised to never ever go about without his bodyguards.
For the Valentin Palamine Regional Operations Command,
(Sgd) DENCIO MADRIGAL
