The Armed Forces of the Philippines also has condemned the NPA for its use of landmines. #npakill6soldiers

Troops carry one of their casualties during an encounter with about 50 rebels in the hinterlands of Borongan. (HS)

Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Secretary Martin Andanar on Friday condemned the recent killing of six soldiers and wounding of 20 others by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Borongan, Eastern Samar.

Reports said the communist terrorists detonated six improvised anti-personnel landmines on troops responding to the presence of the guerillas in Sitio Bangon, Barangay Pinanag-an late afternoon of 11 November.

The soldiers killed in action were Sgt. Rex Jadulco, Cpl. Ronaldo Go, Cpl. Limar Banug, Pvt. First Class Kent Loyd Agullo, Pvt. First Class Junmar Buranday and Pvt. Charlie del Rosario.

According to Andanar, the attack is one way for the enemy to derail Executive Order No. 70 creating the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict that convince communist rebels to go down from the mountains and go back to mainstream society.

“At kapag ginawa po nila iyon ay bibigyan po natin sila ng isang magandang programa para po sila’y makabalik ng wasto sa lipunan na may trabaho at meron pong kapasidad at mayroon pong malaking assistance mula sa ating gobyerno [And if they do that, we will provide them with a good program in order for them to get right back in society and have assistance from government],” Andanar said.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also has condemned the NPA for its use of landmines as it violated the agreement between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) on not using such weapons.

According to the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, the NDF and its affiliates including the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA are signatories of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, which specifically bans the use of landmines due to its long-term effects and its potential to target civilians.

The AFP also said the use of landmines violated the Mine Ban Treaty, otherwise known as the Ottawa Convention, which was adopted at a diplomatic conference in Oslo on 18 September 1997 and signed by 122 countries in Ottawa, Canada on 3 December 1997.

With more than 40 countries, including the Philippines, ratifying the Mine Ban Treaty, it has already become a binding instrument in international law since March 1999 as it sought to end the use of landmines worldwide.

The remains of the six soldiers, together with an NPA rebel who was also killed in action, were immediately airlifted to Camp Vicente Lukban, Catbalogan City and were transported to a funeral home in Catbalogan for post-mortem and proper funeral services.

After the funeral services, the remains were transferred to the 8ID headquarters. The 8ID gave the bereaved families an assurance that immediate assistance will be accorded to them.

The 20 wounded soldiers are still in the hospital in stable condition and undergoing treatment.