Military condemns NPA attack in quake-hit area; rebels deny charge

The Armed Forces of the Philippines' Eastern Mindanao Command condemned on Wednesday the reported attack by suspected communist rebels on a group of soldiers travelling with members of a non-government organization assisting quake victims in Surigao del Norte.

In a statement, the Eastmincom said:  “We condemn in the strongest terms the action of the NPAs that despite their declaration of ceasefire, they ambushed an aid convoy that delivered relief goods to the victims of the earthquake in Surigao.”

The Eastmincom said the attack “has added to the suffering and misery of the people who are trying to recover from the devastation brought by the earthquake.”

“We call on everyone at this time to show compassion and help in aiding the victims of this tragic event instead of promoting violence,” it added.

Despite the attack, the military said it will continue helping the local government units and disaster relief officials in restoring normalcy in the affected areas.

But a report on GMA News TV Live Wednesday quoted the New People's Army as denying the attack.

The report quoted NPA Front 16 spokesman Ka Oto as saying that the soldiers were the ones who fired first at them.

The same TV report, however, quoted the 13th Infantry Battalion as saying that the rebels fired at the soldiers first, prompting them to fire back.

Earlier, Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez of the Army's 4th Infantry Division said a platoon of soldiers were with the NGO in Barangay Linunggaman, San Francisco town in Surigao del Norte when the suspected insurgents fired on them around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.

At the time, the group had just come delivered relief assistance to quake victims in the area and was on its way back to Surigao City.

No one was hurt in the incident.  — RSJ, GMA News