Army opn vs. NPAs displaces 200 NoCot villagers

KIDAPAWAN CITY – The hostilities involving government forces and communist rebels in the mountains of Matalam, North Cotabato have sent villagers fleeing to safer grounds.

Disaster officials in Matalam have listed 51 families or about 255 individuals who sought refuge in the village covered court following clashes that left a ranking official of New Peoples’ Army dead.

Zaldy Gulmatico Pulido, secretary-general of Guerilla Front 53, Southern Mindanao Regional Committee was killed in a clash with soldiers belonging to 90^th Infantry Battalion.

Brig. General Roberto Capulong, 602nd Infantry Brigade commander, said soldiers conducting foot patrol in Sitio Rudson, Barangay Arakan, Matalam when the rebels staring shooting at soldiers that triggered a 30-minute-firefight.

The guerillas then fled deep into the mountains, leaving behind Pulido and a rifle beside him, two mobile phones and subversive documents.

Barangay Arakan chairperson Haron Mantawil said the evacuees need mats, water and food, including hygiene kits and mosquito nets while they are still at the evacuation center.

He said the villagers are still afraid to return home as tension remains high because the Army are still conducting operation against the NPAs.

“We are still waiting for go signal from the authorities when the evacuees can safely return hom,” Mantawil said.

North Cotabato Gov. Nancy Catamco personally visited the Internally Displace Persons (IDPs) and extended them food packs and sacks of rice for their consumptions.

She also asks the military to ensure safety of the villagers once they decided to return homes.

“What we want is a peace of mind of our people. We urge both the military and the rebels to spare the civilians from any harm,” Catamco said.

General Capulong on Tuesday used the military chopper not to pursue the rebels but to drop reading materials to convince them to return to folds of law.

Capulong said there are at least a dozen rebels still hiding in the mountainous portion of Matalam-Arakan boundaries based on their gathered information from the grounds.

The official also confirmed that the reason why this group still exists because of the support from the local contractors in North Cotabato.

Capulong, however, refused name the alleged NPA supporters in the province. Some contractors were forced to shell out revolutionary tax to communist rebels, otherwise, they will be subjected to harassment.

Capulong said the towns of Magpet, Arakan and Pres. Roxas are the areas where the NPAs have been massing and conducted recruitment among Indigenous Peoples youth to join the organization, an Army intelligence information showed.

The brigade commander assured local officials that the Army will do both diplomatic and military strategy to ensure the safety of the local residents. (Williamor Magbanua)