Army-NPA clashes erupted in North Cotabato village
Local News • 07:07 AM Fri Mar 24, 2017
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By:
Edwin O. Fernandez
KIDAPAWAN CITY – Fighting between government forces and communist rebels erupted Thursday night while the New Peoples Army (NPA) guerillas hostaged abut 400 persons in a remote North Cotabato village.Supt. Romeo Galgo, speaking for the regional police office for Region 12, said the fighting erupted at 7:15 p.m. while joint elements of 39th Infantry Battalion, Antipas PNP and North Cotabato went to the village of Camutan. Fighting was on going as of 9 p.m., Galgo told and//www.ndbcnews.com.ph www.ndbcnews.com.ph .Galgo said about 300 fully armed New
Peoples Army stormed the village of Camutan, Antipas at 4 a.m. Thursday,
preventing residents from leaving in an apparent attempt to use them as human
shields against pursuing government forces.
The village
of Camutan has about 133 households, only 47 managed to escape and are now
staying at evacuation center in Antipas, Galgo said.
Tension was still
high as of 9 p.m. since the NPAs remained in Sitio Malapangi, Galgo said, adding
that the rebels also ocupuied the sub-villages of Matias and Gumay.
Chief Inspector
Rolando Dillera, Antipas town police chief, said residents of nearby villages
of Agod and Malire immediately fled when they saw the rebels occupied Sitio
Malapangi at 6 a.m.
Classes in the
affected villages were suspended.Antipas Mayor
Egidio Cadungon said relief workers could not reach trapped families in
Barangay Camutan as there was no clearance from the military.
Cadungon said
efforts by the local government are underway to negotiate with the rebels to
allow safe release of civilians.
Cadungon also
confirmed there was no actual fighting between the NPAs and the rebels since
Thursday morning. (Edwin O. Fernandez)