NPA kill militiaman's wife in Albay – Armed Forces

Hours after ending a ceasefire with the government, the New People's Army shot dead a militiaman's wife in Albay province Wednesday night, the Philippine Army's spokesman, Maj. Harold Cabunoc, said Thursday. Cabunoc said that the incident occurred at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday along the road at Barangay Oma-Oma of Ligao City in Albay. The Communist Party of the Philippines ended the truce noon of that same Wednesday. "Militiaman Arnel Yuson was returning home with his young wife on board a motorcycle when they were ambushed by NPA bandits," he said on his Twitter account Thursday. In a post on his blog, Cabunoc cited a report from Lt. Col. Audrey Pasia of the Army's 2nd Infantry Battalion in Albay identifying the fatality as Sarah Jane Yuson. The Yuson couple were aboard a motorcycle when they were blocked by at least three heavily armed "bandits."   "The bandits rained a hail of bullets at the hapless victims. Arnel was able to escape unhurt but his wife died of her fatal wounds during the ambush, forcing him to leave her behind to report the incident to the authorities," said Cabunoc's blog entry. According to Pasia, Yuson and his two other brothers had long been wanted by the NPA for their successful operations against the bandit group. "Arnel was credited for the arrest of notorious bandit leader Iglecirio Pernia a.k.a. Ka Choy. His two brothers are also serving in the CAFGU and in the Army and both are actively involved in the successful combat operations against the bandits in this province," Cabunoc cited Pasia's report. Ka Choy was released from a provincial jail in Albay as part of the government's peace deal with the communist rebels, Cabunoc added. He cited intelligence sources who said Ka Choy "had rejoined the armed rebels and resumed his extortion activities." "Our soldiers and militiamen were allowed to go home to spend time with their family during the mutually agreed truce which ends on January 15. They suddenly called off the ceasefire and commit this dastardly act of killing the wife of our off-duty militiaman. This treacherous attack is a clear indication of their insincerity in pushing through a lasting peace," Pasia said. Pasia added the incident is a clear indication of the NPA's gross violations of human rights. "Killing unarmed military personnel and their family members who are non-combatants, is against the laws of armed conflict and the rule of law. This is also a violation on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHIHL) that both parties signed," Pasia said. Cabunoc recalled that NPAs also beheaded village councilman Ely Oguis of Guinobatan town in November 2012. He said Oguis was sentenced to die bu the communist rebels for "refusing to pay extortion demanded by the bandits." — DVM, GMA News