SOCIAL MOVEMENTS (Socio156-A1): Incidents of CPP-NPA by: Kenn Michael T. Eltagon

Bukidnon-Dole and Del Monte

MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/20 February) — About a hundred members of the New People’s Army (NPA) simultaneously attacked the main compound of Del Monte Philippines Inc. (DMPI) in Camp Phillips, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon and the compound of Dole Philippines in Impasug-ong town Tuesday, killing a security guard and injuring three others.

Bukidnon. Gov. Alex Calingasan confirmed the report. He said the rebels launched simultaneous attacks early evening Tuesday with the DMPI compound as main target.

A report from the Army’s 4^th Infantry Division based in neighboring Cagayan de Oro said some 50 members of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 89 under alias Bagwis, Piton, Ambo and Arche, launched the attack in DMPI.

Lt. Col. Osias, spokesperson of the 4^th ID, said the rebels on board trucks, vans and motorcycles arrived in Camp Phillips at around 6 p.m. Tuesday and immediately proceeded to the Del Monte truck parking facility and burned a tractor, truck sprayer and a truck.

Simultaneously, Calingasan said, some 30 rebels also attacked the Dole Philippines compound in La Fortuna, Impasug-ong town near the Atugan bridge, seizing two shot guns from the guards on duty.

Jorge Madlos, National Democratic Front (NDF) Mindanao spokesperson, owned the attack in an interview aired over a radio station in neighboring Cagayan de Oro Tuesday evening.

The rebels reportedly disarmed three policemen from Manolo Fortich who were on their way to respond to the incident in La Fortuna, according to a report Calingasan.

The report said the rebels used two forward trucks, two passenger vans, and two motorcycles to retreat to the direction of Dahilayan and nearby areas.

Hundreds of motorists and commuters were stranded along a 78-kilometer stretch of the Sayre Highway, from Puerto in Cagayan de Oro to Kalasungay in Malaybalay City. There were reports both the NPA and police set up roadblocks along the highway. Bukidnon board member Jay Albarece said there were iron bar spikes or suyak along the road from Cagayan de Oro.

Osias identified the slain security guard as Alfredo Neri and the injured as Franklin Millanes and Jofol Jumawan of the Kadre Security Forces and General Services—a private security agency contracted by Del Monte.

Resident physician Larson Taruq of the Camp Phillips Memorial Hospital said Neri succumbed to two gunshot wounds in his upper right torso.

Surigao

UPDATED - 10:10 p.m.) MANILA - Officials confirmed late Monday that all of the three hostages in Surigao del Norte have been released after hours of tension caused by fighting between government troops and New People's Army rebels. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo confirmed that the hostages were released between 3 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. The hostages were released 30 kilometers from the site where they were taken at the Taganito Mining Corp.

"All the hostages have been released. Medyo malaki ang damage sa Taganito mining site," Robredo said, adding that around "75 percent" of the mining facilities were destroyed after the suspects bombed and burned the mining compound.

Initial reports indicated that the suspects launched the attacks at 10:30 a.m., at the Taganito Mining Corp. in Barangay Taganito, the Platinum Metals Group in Barangay Cadianano and THPAL Mining, all in Claver town.

Taganito Mining Corp. mainly engages in the exploration, mining and exporting of nickel ore in Claver, Surigao del Sur. As of 2010, TMC has shipped 11.0 million WMT of nickel ore. It has been shipping nickel ore to Japan since 1989, to Australia since 1999, and to China since 2007.

Platinum Group Metals Corp. mines nickel ore from its sites in Cagdianao, Surigao del Norte and in Isabela. Granted an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) back in 2007, PGMC's Surigao mine site has an approved production volume of 1.4 million metric tons of nickel ore per year. The mine site PGMC's Surigao mine covers a 4,376-hectare land in Surigao del Norte. It is under a 25-year Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) while the Isabela mine's MPSA covers 2,392 hectares.

A Filipino-controlled company, PGMC claimed to be the only integrated mining and ferronickel company in the country with assets worth P3 billion.

Effects

The rebels said the firms "must immediately stop the expansion of their plantations,” reiterating its call “to end all their environmentally-destructive operations, landgrabbing and their exploitative and oppressive activities."

NPA launched the attacks to send a message that DMPI has to stop operations, blaming the firm for the big damage wrought by Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro in December 2011.

DMPI and Dole Philippines are the same multinational corporations that allegedly abused laborers, amassed large plantation areas that could have been subjected to land reform, and damaged the environment.

NPA’s “punitive actions” appear to be the only way to stop the unabated expansion as the government is not able to stop it.

The communist group said it launched the attacks against Del Monte and Dole in defense of workers, peasants and Lumads who, according to the NPA, are “exploited” and “oppressed.”

The roadblocks were a “necessity” to prevent military reinforcement.

The rebels burned several trucks, ransacked several offices and left a security guard identified as Alfredo Neri dead and two others wounded. A habal-habal (motorcycle) driver identified as Mario Ayuban was also shot and wounded in the thigh as he was about to answer a phone call.

Classes have been disrupted because children and their parents are still traumatized by the attack.

Burning mining equipment and taking several mining officers and guards.

Suspension of the operation of mining companies.

The release followed an attack by hundreds of alleged NPA rebels who launched successive raids against three mining companies in the province Monday morning, burning mining equipment and taking several mining officers and guards

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