Army assures security of Mati City after NPA attack

EASTERN MINDANAO COMMAND, Davao City, (PIA) -Army Authorities here assured that the peace and order condition in Mati City, Davao Oriental is back to normal after the police and military repulsed the attack initiated by the communist rebels on the police station Sunday night.Lt. General Aurelio Baladad, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) chief,credited the timely intelligence information and good coordination between the soldiers and the police for foiling the attack.He said that 37 police officers defended the station successfully as the rebels fled leaving behind one fallen comrade, 31 backpacks, one van and one elf.Baladad said many of the soldiers were killed in the explosion as their vehicle run over an improvised explosive device laid by the rebels on the road between the Armyheadquarters in Sitio Magay, Barangay Marundan and the police station.Killed on the spot were Private First Class Daniel Damansila, and Private Ryan Amigo while another namely PFC Wil Christian Resuello died in the hospital.The explosion also wounded Privates First Class Zaldy Canonero, Emerito Castillo, Ian Mark Babiera and Virgel Logronio.All fatalities belonged to the 104th Division Reconnaissance Company. The rebels manning a roadblock in front the Camillus Hospital in sitio Sudlon also gunned down Sgt Adel Lucanan, a member of the 67th IB and detailed to guard Governor Corazon Malanyaon, after the victim failed to recognize the rebels and identified himself as a soldier.The soldier was in civilian attire. We have seen several violations of the Comprehensive Agreement for the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in this incident like the use of IEDs and the killing of an unarmed soldiers,” Baladad said.P02 Daniel Babao, a member of the Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office was also hit on his right hand after shooting it out with the fleeing rebels.Baladad said pursuit operation is now going on outside Mati City.He revealed that rebels also exploded an IED on the escort vehicle of Chief Superintendent Wendy Rosario, director of the Police Regional Office 11, Monday morning on his way to Mati City.No one was hurt in the incident.Major General Eduardo Ano, commander of the 10th Infantry Division said the rebels plotted the attack to show that they are a force to reckon with.He said most of the attackers come from the area in between Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley.Ano said the rebels want to grab back Davao Oriental, after the military declared it as development ready and insurgency free in 2013.