(UPDATE) Five PSG wounded in encounter with alleged NPA in Cotabato

July 19, 2017

Five members of Presidential Security Group (PSG) were wounded in an encounter with armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army in Cotabato Wednesday morning,  military spokesmen said Major Ezra Balagtey, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command public affairs office, said five wounded PSG  members were Staff Sergeant Arniel Matunhay, Sgt Gerry Torsar, Corporal Rodel Ledesma, Corporal Ayam Alia, Staff Sergeant Lisondra. "Accordingly, one CAFGU ( Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) identified as Ben Pandia was liquidated prior to the encounter and a 60-year-old man was abducted by the fleeing NPAs," Balagtey added. Lt. Col. Michael Aquino, PSG civil military operations officer, said based on initial reports their personnel were on their way to Cagayan de Oro from Davao City when they encountered around 50 alleged members of New People’s Army (NPA) who were wearing military uniform along the national highway in Arakan, Cotabato around 6 am. “They are on their way to Cagayan, because we have a lot of activities in Cagayan so they supposed to go there to coordinate administrative matter of the PSG,” he said. Aquino said the 10 PSG personnel onboard two civilian vehicles were on a regular “administrative movement” when they stopped in a checkpoint that was established by the rebels in military uniform. “While on their way, the NPA who pretended to be military personnel by wearing military uniform are having checkpoint, so of course the initial reaction of our troops is to stop. Upon verification of the rebels who were conducting checkpoint, our personnel notice that they are not soldiers and because of that the encounter occurred,” he said. “They (troops) fired (at) them. So it’s not an ambush, it was an encounter, our vehicles move forward,” Aquino added. He said the wounded PSG personnel were immediately brought to German Doctors Hospital, Buda National Hi-way, Marilog District, Davao City. Brig. Gen. Gilbert Gapay, Eastern Mindanao Command deputy commander, said  government forces conducted pursuit and blocking operations against the armed  men. During the pursuit, troops from 39th Infantry Battalion and CAFGUs from 72nd Infantry Battalion encountered the fleeing NPAs at Midsacan Barangay Napalico, Arakan  around 9 am of the same day. Balagtey said the encounter has resulted in the death of one NPA whose cadaver was recovered at 1 pm. "Relative to this Eastern Mindanao Command directed subordinate units to further intensify security operations to protect communities, vital infrastructure and economic endeavor in Eastern Mindanao after atrocities and engagement took place in the Command's area of responsibility," he said. "The Command has been proactive in the conduct of security operations in the countryside for the past days and all units within the area were alerted after the announcement of Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella and Police Director General  Ronald Dela Rosa on the plan of the NPA to conduct atrocities nationwide," he added. (Robina Asido/DMS)