Robert C. Dejon | August 1, 2022
Seven (7) personnel of the 20th Infantry (We Lead) Battalion conducting Community Support Program (CSP) were injured after encountering anti-personnel mines while conducting combat patrol around 6:15 AM July 5 in the vicinity of Brgy. Magsaysay, Mapanas, Northern Samar.
2nd Lt. Bayron, 20IB Acting Spokesperson disclosed that of the seven (7) injured personnel, two (2) are in critical condition. "The seven wounded in action were still in the process of casualty evacuation."
Brgy. Magsaysay is amongst the four (4) barangays of Mapanas, Northern Samar recipient of a P63M worth of PAMANA Infrastructure Program CY 2018 for the Construction of Siljagon-Naparasan-Quezon-Magsaysay Farm-to-Market Road. According to the regional office of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), the presence of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Samar has discouraged contractors from implementing multi-million infrastructure projects intended for the impoverished and conflict-stricken communities there.
It can also be recalled that the OPAPP Program Manager for the Visayas, Imelda Bonifacio, disclosed during an interview in 2018 that construction firms have abandoned at least three (3) projects for fear of NPA’s extortion activities and being caught in the crossfire between armed rebels and state forces. This prompted the AFP and the PNP to coordinate and redeploy CSP Teams in Brgy. Magsaysay and other conflict-affected barangays to ensure that the project implementation of PAMANA projects and other related government projects will push through and not be hampered by extortion and intimidation from the rebel group.
2nd Lt. Bayron continued that “the "We Lead Troopers" cannot allow the people of Mapanas to be deprived of government services because of NPA's deceptive propaganda and lies.”
The recent incidents inflict another serious violation by the rebel group in Northern Samar to the International Humanitarian Law. It can be recalled that on April 3, 2022, the rebel group used anti-personnel mines against the CSP teams of the 20IB while retreating to Brgy. Osang in Catubig at the vicinity of Brgy. San Miguel in Las Navas, Northern Samar which resulted to two (2) deaths of PNP personnel and injured four (4) other state forces.
Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, Commanding Officer of the 20IB, stated that the said terroristic attack is a clear violation of the Ottawa Convention (Mine Ban Treaty). Such treaty prohibits the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel landmines.
"The 20IB has been doing its best to help the conflict-affected barangays through our Community Support Program Teams to achieve long-lasting peace and sustainable development in Northern Samar. We are calling on the Commission of Human Rights to investigate and make a statement on these continuous inexcusable violations of the Ottawa Convention, International Humanitarian Law and RA9851 by communist NPA terrorists in Northern Samar. Moreover, the leadership of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), as the self-proclaimed organizational representative of the NPA, should be held liable for not taking any efforts to stop the NPA, its armed wing, from its continuing production stockpile, transport, and use of crudely manufactured anti-personnel mines (APM) that also pose danger to lives of the people in the communities where they lay the mines," Lt. Col. Buban added.
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