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MASBATE CITY: An Army soldier was reportedly killed Tuesday morning
in a series of attacks launched by suspected members of the New
People’s Army (NPA) hours before the expected arrival of President
Gloria Arroyo for a joint meeting with the Cabinet, the National
Dsaster and Coordinating Council (NDCC), and the Regional
Development Council.
Early reports have the Jose Rapsing command of
the NPA operating in Masbate initiating the move a few hours before
the arrival of the President in Placer town for the meeting.
President Arroyo ignored security concerns when
she went to Masbate Tuesday to assist the needy in the
typhoon-ravaged province, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.
“President Arroyo practically brought the full
force of her government to a far-flung and typhoon ravaged area in
Masbate undeterred by sporadic clashes between the AFP [Armed Forces
of the Philippines] and the NPAs in the vicinity to send a strong
message that government will deliver much needed basic services even
in areas that are still pestered by insurgents and to show the
irrelevance and insignificance or armed insurgency in the country
side,” Dureza said in a statement.
“The landmine explosion earlier today and
clashes were triggered by the tactical maneuvers of the AFP that had
been ongoing for sometime now to flush out NPA remnants in the
neighboring towns of Placer where President Arroyo presided over a
three-hour Cabinet level NDCC meeting,” he added.
Military’s Southern Luzon Command Spokesperson
Leah Santiago, said the first attack happened at around 2 a.m. in
Banao Village, Placer town, where an improvised explosive devise was
suspected to have caused the blast.
The second incident occurred at around 7:45 a.m.
in Bagacay Village, Mobo town, where an undetermined number of
rebels attacked a group of soldiers on board a van, although no
casualties were reported in the incident.
Mobo town is 50 kilometers away from Placer were
the cabinet meeting was to be held later in the day.
At around 10 a.m., Army troops had an encounter
with some 20 NPAs in Villafuerto Village, Uson town that resulted in
the death of one soldier identified only as Sgt. Gonzales.
The military made it clear though that the
incidents were not in anyway connected with the arrival of President
Arroyo in the province.
Despite the incidents, Arroyo and her Cabinet
pushed through with their scheduled meeting in Placer town.
“The government will penetrate areas that are
still pestered by insurgents to deliver much needed basic services
and to show the irrelevance of armed insurgency in the
countryside,” Dureza added.
Other palace officials said the attacks were
intended to deter Arroyo from visiting poorer areas because the
insurgents knew this would lead to more development, which would
hurt their cause in the area.
The municipality of Placer is one of several
areas devastated by Typhoon Frank. From Masbate, President Arroyo
will proceed to Calbayog City in Western Samar to personally preside
the NDCC.
-- Jefferson Antiporda, Angelo S. Samonte, Rhaydz B. Barcia with
AFP
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