Sagada officials hit NPA attack; death of soldier

SAGADA, Mountain Province – Officials of this tourist town denounced members of the New People’s Army (NPA) following the ambush of government soldiers and policemen here at a mountain ridge of Barangay Aguid on Sept. 26.

In an excerpt from minutes of the municipal peace and order council special meeting on Oct. 1, the body passed Resolution No. 06 s. 2019 condemning the killing of one soldier and wounding of another during the attack.

The resolution stated such brought terror and distress to the community more so that the encounter site is very near residential areas, farms and pasturelands and within the ancestral domain of northern Sagada.

“The officialdom of Sagada and its people deeply mourn the murder of Cpl. Jordan Malnawa, who is a fellow Cordilleran, a member of the indigenous people (IP),” the resolution said.

The MPOC of the town also noted such acts are greatly affecting its tourism related industries and economic activities.

The resolution affirmed its earlier resolution dated August 1, 2019 re: Resolution No. 05 s. 2019 or “A resolution declaring persona non grata the CPP/NPA in the municipality of Sagada.”

The resolution will be forwarded to the Provincial Peace and Order Council of Mountain Province and all concerned government agencies for their information.

Elements of Philippine Army and the Philippine National Police were reportedly patrolling in Barangay Aguid after civilians reported sightings of NPA who were also seen planting landmines in the area. While members of the government forces were scouring the area to remove the planted land mines, they encountered a number of the communist rebels.

After the encounter, soldiers found two anti-personnel mines and assorted chemical components for improvised explosive devices in the clash site.

Military forces intensified operations against NPA guerillas of the Leonardo Pacsi Command following the ambush.

The encounter happened around 11:30 a.m. that led to the death of Cpl. Jordan Malnawa and wounding of Private 1st Class Melvin Ngodes.

Both Manawa and Ngodes are from Kalinga.

Col. Homer Penecilla of police regional office said members of  Charlie Company 5ID of the Philippine Army led by 2Lt. Pulalon were conducting combat operations under the joint Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)-Philippine National Police (PNP Kapanatagan program when they encountered the communist guerillas.

This, as Ka Martin Montana, spokesperson of the Chadli Molintas Command the NPA (NPA-Ilocos-Cordillera) said the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) directed focused military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines covering the towns of Bontoc, Sagada, Besao, Tadian and Bauko in Mountain Province and adjacent Tubo town of Abra.

Employed in the large scale combat operation were reportedly around two battalion size forces coming from units under the 5th and 7th Infantry Divisions of the Philippine Army, namely the 50th IB, 54th IB, 24th IB, 81st IB and the 51st and 52nd DRCs.  

Montana cited the LPC-NPA of Mountain Province for the “successful ambush of a platoon of the Charlie Company 50th Infantry Battalion headed by Lt. Pulalonan in Barangay Aguid.”

The CMC in a statement said contrary to pronouncement of Brig. Gen. Henry Doyaoen, 503rd Infantry Brigade commander, there were no casualties on the side of the NPA.