TACLOBAN CITY- The Communist Party of the Philippines(CPP) in Eastern Visayas denied claims of the military that they were responsible of an ambush directed against soldiers who were trying to help villagers escape their village from flooding spawned by tropical storm ‘Urduja’ in Northern Samar.
In an emailed statement, the group also said that they have declared a ‘state of calamity’ in the entire region as it was battered by Urduja and Vinta.
“The Communist Party of the Philippines in Eastern Visayas denies that the New People’s Army carried out any tactical offensive on Government of the Republic of the Philippines troops allegedly doing relief operations during Typhoon Urduja in Northern Samar,” the group said on its statement issued on December 26, coinciding its 49th founding anniversary.
“This allegation was separately spewed, Goebbels-like, by the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson as well as presidential mouthpiece Harry Roque. This is a brazen lie to diminish the prestige and political support of the CPP-NPA-NDFP in line with the US-Duterte regime’s terrorist-tagging and suppression of the revolutionary forces and all political opposition,” it added.
On December 16, a group of soldiers belonging to the 20th Infantry Battalion was on their way to Barangay Hinagoyonon, Catubig town in Northern Samar when they were ambushed by about 50 alleged NPA members in Barangay San Miguel.
The soldiers were heading to Hinagoyonon to rescue trapped families of the said village of flooding as Urduja battered the province.
Two of the soldiers, Corp. Yzazel Laure and PFC Roland Gomez, were wounded due to the armed fight that lasted over an hour.
President Rodrigo Duterte condemned this attack staged by the communist group which he branded as a terror group.
In the same statement, the communist group also said that they have declared a state of calamity across the region and ordered all rebel members to help storm victims.
“To serve the people on this 49th anniversary of the CPP’s reestablishment, and in solidarity with the plight of the people who are struggling against natural calamity as well as the brutal and repressive US-Duterte regime, the CPP Regional Committee in Eastern Visayas declares a state of calamity for the entire region and orders all NPA units to give priority to relief operations and other necessary support for all those affected by Typhoons Urduja and Vinta,” it said.
“Aside from addressing the direct damages of the storms, the people must also be supported in their struggles against hunger and socio-economic crisis in the coming months because of ruined or lesser crop yields,” the group added. (JOEY A. GABIETA)