Soldiers thwart alleged NPA plan to disrupt Leyte relief ops –military

The Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division on Tuesday said soldiers had clashed and thwarted an alleged communist rebel plan to disrupt military relief operations in Leyte.

In a Monday statement, the 8ID said the brief encounter between the 14th Infantry Battalion and suspected members of the New People’s Army took place in Sitio Panaghiusa, Barangay Katipunan in Abuyog town.

Division spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ernesto del Rosa explained that an informant told them about the NPA's supposed plan to disrupt the delivery of relief items to Typhoon Odette victims.

"Our troops were on alert as we anticipated that the terrorist NPA would once again commit an atrocity, as it had done in the past when soldiers assisting in the distribution of ayuda and policemen en route to pick up COVID 19 vaccines were ambushed,” said del Rosa.

Citing the informant, Del Rosa said the rebels planned to establish a roadblock, steal family food packs, and distribute them to affected residents to “make it appear to be the NPA’s relief efforts.”

He added that NPA wanted affected families to complain and blame the government for the delay of relief assistance.

According to Del Rosa, the 14IB was still pursuing the rebels. — DVM, GMA News