Army clear landmine blast site in DavOr

DAVAO CITY, January 23 (PIA) Members of the 28th Infantry Battalion recovered the electric wire which the rebels used as detonating cord in blowing up a military convoy which left one soldier killed and 13 others wounded in Sitio Mainit, Barangay Calapagan, Lupon, Davao Oriental last 12:20 am Tuesday (Jan. 22). Lt. Colonel Lyndon Paniza, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry Division said the rebel used a command detonated improvised explosive device in inflicting harm on the soldiers who were conducting security and relief operation in the area as government reaches out to remote places to assist survivors of typhoon Pablo. He said that as of 9:00 am Wednesday, soldiers cleared the area already from improvised landmines to ensure the safety of passersby. Paniza said among the 13 wounded, four victims are in the hospital, where two of them remain in critical condition. “All survivors of the blast remain in the hospital for medical treatment,” he said. Paniza said the blast in Lupon happened at the time when the anti-insurgency drive had been turned over to its local government to handle. He observed that the rebels were are able to create chaos in Barangay Calapagan since it is located in the boundary shared with Maragusan, Compostela Valley, where they can easily run to evade pursuing government troops. “Certainly, the rebels can still move in the boundary areas, even if we declare Lupon as cleared from their influence,” Paniza said. He clarified that the troops were conducting inspection and risk-assessment of the extent of landslides in the area caused by the bad weather when the incident happened. Paniza said the soldiers even left a team as responders in case landslide and flash flood would occur. “The soldiers were involved in the ongoing relief operation when the incident happened,” he said. Paniza said the blast could have killed all soldiers if the military truck was weak enough to handle the explosion. He lamented that the rebels continue to defy the Comprehensive Agreement in the Respect for Human Rights and International Law which stressed the respect for the individual’s right to life. “It seems that their leaders who signed the agreement with our government no longer control their members on the ground which describes the continued defiance on the CARHRIHL,” Paniza said. Major Jacob Thaddeus Obligado, commanding officer of the 10th Civil-Military Operations Battalion said that the series of violent incidents perpetrated by the rebels only demonstrate that they want their presence felt, since they lost their relevance to the communities immediately after typhoon Pablo hit Davao Region. “The rebels simply want to get the attention of the people. Since Day One of the rescue and relief operation, the rebel movement was not felt amid the chaos brought about by the storm. They seemingly want to grab the limelight and destroy the system instituted by government to help the survivors of typhoon Pablo,” he said. (PIA XI-Joey Sem Dalumpines)