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Armed Forces of the Philippines claims New Peoples Army holds medical mission and recruitment in Sadanga, Mt. Province

SADANGA, Mt. Province (Mar. 3) — Members of the New Peoples Army (NPA) allegedly conducted medical missions, recruitment, and anti-mining campaigns last month in this province, said the Armed Forces in the Philippines (AFP) in this municipality. The report was made by the 54th Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army (IBPA) to the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) held here on March 2.

Sadanga is a small and underdeveloped northwestern municipality out of the 10 municipalities of this province. According to government agencies, the province ranks 74th from 76 provinces nationwide experiencing extreme poverty.

The AFP report said that “a band of NPAs conducted non-violent activities around the province with concentration in the areas of Sadanga and parts of Bontoc.” The Leonardo Pacsi Command is the NPA command operating in the province, it said.

Members of the PPOC asked why the AFP failed to respond immediately to the said NPA presence. The AFP said supposedly reasoned out that their actions were limited due to the declaration of the province as “peace zone.” They were allegedly instructed by their superiors “not to initiate violent actions against the terrorist dissidents because of a standing order from the OPAPP (Office of the Presidential Assistant for Peace Process) and DND (Department of National Defense) that the province was declared as peace zone. Under the peace zone, both the government troops and the NPA should not set foot in a peace zone area.

But despite the alleged order, a composite platoon from the Charlie Company and 51st rifle company of the 54th IB PA was sent to the area sometime in the third week of February to augment the teams from the PNP that countered the rebels. There was no reported violent encounter between the government troops and the rebels.

As a result of the reported sightings of NPA’s here, town officials declared curfew hours at night starting 8 o’clock in the evening.

Sadanga Mayor Gabino Ganggangan claimed in that meeting that one of the issues being drummed up by the NPA is the Etfew Chadyaas murder by the Army, which, until now, has no clear and definite action by the government.

Ganggangan reminded the PPOC that the court has issued a warrant of arrest for the killer of Etfew Chadyaas by Philippine Army Lt. Eduard Sia-ed more than a year ago but the law enforcement agencies have not effectively acted for the (Sia-ed) arrest.

Chadyaas of Brgy. Belwang in Sadanga was brutally killed by a team from the 54th IB during one of their combat operations in a forested area of that barangay sometime in 2003. Immediately, the family of the victim filed a complaint in court where it favorably issued the warrant of arrest.

Family members and supporters urged the AFP to turn over Sia-ed for the immediate disposal of the case but to no avail. Sia-ed and the perpetrators of the crime are still free roaming around the area. # Joseph Pangket for NORDIS

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