By Sarwell Meniano | Philippine News Agency
TACLOBAN CITY – A top official of the Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas on Wednesday (Dec. 29) condemned the New People’s Army (NPA) for trying to disrupt the distribution of relief goods for typhoon-hit families in an upland community in Abuyog, Leyte.
Major Gen. Edgardo de Leon, commander of Army’s 8th Infantry Division, said a group of rebels was about to set up a roadblock to disrupt food aid distribution in a remote spot in upland Katipunan village when they had a brief armed encounter with government troops around 9:45 p.m. on Dec. 27.
No one was hurt among the government forces but fleeing rebels left one rifle, food supplies, and personal belongings at the encounter site.
“Their action is intended to delay and disrupt our relief operations so those families waiting for relief goods, unaware of what’s happening, would have reason to complain and blame the government,” de Leon said in a statement.
Troops of the Army’s 14th Infantry Battalion have been on alert in the upland communities of Abuyog since in the past the NPA combatants have attempted to ambush soldiers transporting food packs and COVID-19 vaccines to the village.
The soldiers learned about the plan around 6:00 p.m. of Dec. 27 as tipped off by an informant.
“According to the tipster, the terrorists’ plan is to establish road block, steal family food packs, and distribute it to residents of Katipunan village. They wanted to make it appear that it’s the NPA’s relief efforts,” De Leon added.
Some communities in Abuyog town are among the badly-hit areas by Typhoon Odette.
The official vowed to step up efforts to secure the post-disaster response of the government. Any delay in the delivery of basic services could be used as an issue for people in vulnerable communities to hate the government, according to De Leon.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines. (PNA) – bny
