NPA Threats Led to Massive Evacuation in Calbiga

CAMP GENERAL VICENTE LUKBAN, CATBALOGAN CITY – About 549 household from the barangays of Cambagtic, Bulao, San Mauricio, Guimbanga, Minata, Sinalangtan, Caamlungan, Binangaran, Daligan and Buluan all of Calbiga, Samar fled their respective communities to seek shelter to the town gymnasium from April 4 – 7, 2017.

One of the Barangay Chairmen from upper barangay claimed that residents were forced to evacuate on the grounds of threat from communist terrorists that they will conduct an attack against the 87^th IB troops at the said area and they were ordered purportedly by the New People's Army to troop down to avoid being caught in a possible crossfire with government troops.  The passing of the villagers of Canbagtic to other barangays spread like wildfire of the above mentioned rumors which the residents panicked and also evacuated, triggering a mass exodus to the town gymnasium.

       Combined efforts of 87^th IB, Municipal Police Station (MPS), Municipal Social Welfare and Development (MSWD) and Local Government Unit (LGU) reached at a dialogue with the evacuees to solve the current situation represented by their respective Barangay Chairmen, agreed to convince the residents to return to their community.

Local DSWD distributed relief goods to the evacuees and the LGU of Calbiga provided trucks for transportation back to their respective barangays. Most of the evacuees returned to their communities but some refused and opted to stay at the covered court as of press time.

       Your Army in Eastern Visayas is deploying community peace and developments teams which are encouraging community based initiatives defined by the local communities, with local government units coordinating efforts against insurgency, geared towards presenting long-term solutions while at the same time addressing the immediate needs of the local community.

-30-

Northern Samar Village Attacked by NPA

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City – The NPA stormed the village of Brgy Taylor in Las Navas, Northern Samar indiscriminately firing their weapons on civilian community at 8:30 am yesterday that resulted to the killing of a four-year old boy who was inside their house at the time of the attack.

Community development personnel from 63IB who were on their way to the Barangay immediately responded to the scene of the incident to secure the village and protect the people and extended immediate assistance to the victims. The troops also secured the area for investigation by the SOCO Team of the PNP. After which, the troops conducted pursuit operation as the perpetrators fled the area.

The local officials of Brgy Taylor headed by Brgy Chairperson Marie Claire Tuling are now preparing their complaints against the local communist terrorists. 

The 63^rd Infantry Battalion that secures the area will assist the Brgy officials and the victims in filing a criminal case against the NPA perpetrators as well as complaints before the Commission on Human Rights and the GPH-NDF Joint Monitoring Committee.

This is already the third time in a period of seven (7) months that the NPA staged their attacks on civilian communities.  The local communist terrorists raided Hinabangan, Samar in September 2011 and attacked Lapinig, Northern Samar just this January.###