8ID’s search and rescue on going, unearths missing victim

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar – the only thing left out by the successive rains that had caused floods and landslides in some places in Samar and Leyte islands are the mud and dirt the remain unpolished since water level has just subsided after the complete stop of the rain.

The reported five (5) sections of the Taft-Buray road which were swamped by three feet to five feet of water flood yesterday such as Barangay Binaloan, Malinao, San Pablo, Mabuhay and Burak all of Taft, Eastern Samar are now passable as of 6 a.m. today but the Disaster Relief and Rescue Unit (DRRU) of the Army’s 801st Infantry Brigade are still on the alert for any recurrence of the incident.


The Southern Leyte landslides particularly in Purok 4, Brgy Bulod-Bulod in the town of St Bernard remains serious today.

It can be recalled that three (3) innocent minors were buried alive after their households were pressed down by the sliding mud and rocks. Search and rescue operation yesterday resulted to exhumation of two (2) dead bodies identified as Fatima and Rodel Escairal, 5 and 1 year old, respectively and Jordan Laquipon, 3 years old who was reported missing yesterday is now exhumed by the troops of Lieutenant Jerson Palawan of the Army’s 19th Infantry Battalion early this morning.

Lieutenant Palawan’s report states that other victims who survived the landslide are now in good condition while others are still under medication in the Anahawan Hospital in the same province.

Reports also revealed that while the 19IB troopers were on their way to Balud-balud to assist the localities, they also encountered other minor and major landslides that almost prevent them to pursue. About few seconds from passing Agas-agas Bridge, piece of the mountain height along the road were able to slip on the road. Luckily, they were able to cross forward.

Another mud slip along Brgy Kawayan, Libagon town of same province eventually caused them to stop longer when it totally blocked the access from and to Liloan town. Troops including some commuters aboard buses and other utility vehicles were reportedly stranded.

19IB immediately deployed its troops in coordination with the Provincial Public Works and Highways (PPWH) to provide necessary assistance in the affected area. Troops were able to clear the passage early morning today.

Meanwhile, Major General Mario Chan commended his troops for painstakingly uphold the call of duty. It cannot be denied that some troops are enjoying their holiday vacation but they disregarded their personal comfort and recreation just to answer the call of duty.

“I would like to recognize the duty and service of our troops. Even though some of them are on Yuletide break, they completely disregarded their own personal safety just to answer the call of duty for the affected people. They hurdled and passed other landslide just to reach the most critical area where services are badly needed.” Major General Chan says.

General Chan ordered all the units under his command to continue monitoring their respective areas of operations to assure that every manmade or natural calamities including threat to security and safety of our people will be immediately addressed.

One company of Disaster Response and Rescue Unit (DRRU) is still on standby alert at the 8ID headquarters for quick deployment and immediate response to the calls of eventualities. ###

8ID responds to calamity needs in Samar and Leyte

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar – Continuous rain that started in New Year’s Eve up to present had brought some of the places in Samar and Leyte Islands to sink in a deep flood while some experience minor and major landslides.

In Samar island, reports that had reached to this command divulged that there are five (5) sections of the Taft-Buray road which are inundated by three feet to five feet water flood of Barangay Binaloan, Malinao, San Pablo, Mabuhay and Burak all of Taft, Eastern Samar. Some vehicle cannot exceed even the military vehicle on the said areas.

The Disaster Relief and Rescue Unit (DRRU) of the Army’s 801^st Infantry Brigade in coordination with the Local Government Unit of the concerned municipality had already made necessary actions.

Trainees of Jungle Warfare and Mountain Operations Course (JWMOC) who are based in Hinabangan with some crews of Provincial Public Works and Highways (PPWH) in Samar were able to clear off the mud and rocks that covered the road net in Brgy San Rafael West and made it partially passable at about 11:30 in the morning. Complete clearing will be conducted the next day.

On the other hand, Loop de Loop detachment of 52^nd Cadre Battalion and 14^th Infantry Battalion, respectively unmindful of their safety and heavy rains, were able to immediately deploy their troops to assist the trapped commuters but no possible evacuation of the trapped commuters thereat.

In Southern Leyte, a separate report from R3, PNP Region 8 disclosed that landslides had occurred at Purok 4, Brgy Bolod-Bolod, St Bernard at about 1:30 in the afternoon that buried two (2) households with three casualties.

Combined personnel of PNP St Bernard and 2^nd Platoon of SL PPSC led by P/Insp Bernardino had already conducted initial search and rescue operation that resulted to unearthing of two (2) dead bodies that was later found out to be Fatima and Rodel Escairal, 5 and 1 year old, respectively while Jordan Laquipon, 1 year old is reported missing.

Other residents near the area were already evacuated in safer ground and now under custody of St Bernard Municipal Disaster Coordinating Committee. Search and rescue operation are still on going for the other missing victim.

Furthermore, 19^th Infantry Battalion lately reported that another landslide had occurred at Brgy Kawayan, Libagon town of same province that made the road from and to Liloan town impassable. Buses and other means of land transportation are reportedly stranded on the said place. 19IB had already deployed its troops to provide necessary assistance in the affected area. Troops are still in the area as of press time.

Meanwhile, the commander of the Army’s 8^th Infantry Division Major General Mario Chan ordered his Commandant to prepare the Command’s DRRU to augment the troops who are conducting search and rescue operations in the affected areas.

Equipped with their DRRU equipment such as shovels, floating vests, ropes and other digging and floating devices, the Company size DRRU were formed stand by at the command’s grandstand ready to move on call for any deployment in any place of Region 8.###

Civilian survivors dismiss Salas’s statements as total lies

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar – Civilian survivors dismissed the statement of Santiago Salas, a discharged priest turned spokesman of the National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas (NDF-EV) as a total lie for making a story far apart from what really transpired when soldiers and civilians were brutally and mercilessly murdered by the terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) in two separate incidents in Las Navas on December 8 and 14, respectively that claimed lives not only of the soldiers but of the innocent civilians.

As what is expected, the NDF-EV made a total denial and washes their hands after intentionally waylaying soldiers who were not in the offensive mode despite of civilians around. Two (2) civilians were killed in the first ambush while one (1) in the second. Two among the three who were killed were minors.

These lies were challenge by the angry survivors who saw for themselves how ruthless the NPA terrorists were. According to them, despite of their beggings, the rebels kept on firing on them. One survivor even dramatized how he and his companions waved their arms widely open while shouting, “Tama na! Tama na! Mga sibilyan kami!” (Enough! Enough! We are civilians!). He was already slightly wounded that moment when he was shouting for mercy at the rebels. The father of the murdered minor, the operator of motorized banca said that he saw his son banished under the river’s current after falling over board when his boat was indiscriminately fired upon by the terrorists.

The victims are crying for justice. Justice from the inhuman and dastardly acts of the NPA who profess to be the protector of the masses. But the truth is crystal clear. They (NPA) are the tormentor and oppressor of the people. Salas, is truly a master of black propaganda and deception aimed at misleading the masses of the real truth.

"Salas should thank the AFP's serious protection and preservation of the people’s rights so he can enjoy freedom of expression. Sad thing is, Salas uses this right to steal the truth from the people and has been committing grave offense to the people by suppressing their rights to know the truth."

Salas is also being hooked up his tongue when he claimed that the troops forcibly boarded the motorized banca owned by Julito Casio. Salas obviously didn’t know what is happening in the ground. Casio, in behalf of the residents of Brgy Poponton, was the one who sought assistance from the troops for the conduct of Barangay Peace and Order Council (BPOC) meeting in reaction to the threat posed by the NPA after they mercilessly murdered a local resident Torib Diaz, and dumped his dead body in Hinaga river in Poponton.

When the communist terrorists open fired at the approaching banca, Casio was one among the passengers who was hit by the first burst of fire and died instantaneously. One soldier was killed and two others were wounded because the terrorist kept on firing them even though they have already jumped into the river which is a total violation of Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed between the government and communist rebels particularly the provision in Part IV, Article 4, Section 2 which states that, “the wounded and the sick shall be collected and cared for by the party to the armed conflict which has them in its custody or responsibility”. Moreover, Article 3, Section 4 which states that, “desecration of the remains of those who have died in the course of armed conflict or while under detention, and breach of duty to tender immediately such remains to their families or to give them decent burial,” was also violated when the ten soldiers killed in a landmine ambush in adjacent of Brgy. Perez, Las Navas, were looted and left behind like slaughtered animals by the rebels.

With these inhuman acts, Salas as well as his brutal cohorts is guilty of violating the peoples’ rights.

The people are no longer passive component in an insurgency problem. They are intelligent enough to see what is the real face of the CPP-NPA NDF. Especially now that the people of Northern Samar cries for justice for the countless violation of human rights perpetrated by the terrorist NPA. Noteworthy to mention are the policemen who were busted by landmines in Imelda, Catarman while responding to a security problem in the barangay, the killing of unarmed soldiers bathing in the water fall in Las Navas by NPA snipers, the river-line amsbush of unarmed soldiers and civilians in Brgy Taylor also in Las Navas, and the treacherous landmine ambush of ten soldiers whose only intention is to secure the people in the far-away barrio against the oppression of the rebels.

The Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) of the CARHRIHL should investigate the increasing human rights violations of the terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF in Northern Samar. May justice be the crowning glory of these people and soldiers who were victims of the massive anti-human rights campaign of the CPP-NPA-NDF. ###

SND and other GRP’s top official bids honor to the fallen soldiers in Northern Samar

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar – The Secretary to the Defense Department and four (4) other government’s top officials landed today in Catarman, Northern Samar to visit the wake of the ten (10) soldiers who were treacherously waylaid by the terrorist New People’s Army (NPA) in the outskirts of Brgy Perez, Las Navas town last 14 December two days before the government’s declaration for cease fire.

Secretary Voltaire Gazmin of the Defense Department is being accompanied by Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP); Atty Alexander Padilla, the Chief Negotiator of the GRP Peace Panel; AFP Chief General Ricardo David; Army Chief Lieutenant General Arturo Ortiz to personally condole the bereaved families of victims of the most recent atrocity perpetrated by the terrorist NPA in Eastern Visayas.

The visiting government officials were welcomed at the Catarman Airport by Governor Paul Daza of Northern Samar and Major General Mario Chan and Colonel Oscar Lopez, the commander of the 8^th Infantry Division and 803^rd Infantry Brigade, respectively.

It can be recalled that troops were marching off “back to barracks” to observe the government’s declaration of suspension of military operations (SOMO) for the Yuletide season when the terrorist NPA ambushed them using destructive improvised mines. As a result, two (2) soldiers were seriously wounded and ten (10) others were brutally killed. One innocent minor Joven Cabe was also murdered who was just swimming in the river banks after hitting shrapnel from the exploded mine.

Gazmin and other top officials paid their last honor to the fallen comrades who rendered the supreme sacrifice of offering their lives for the sake of peace, freedom and democracy. They also gave due recognition to the wounded troops confined at Northern Samar Provincial Hospital who miraculously survived in the brutal massacre perpetrated by the terrorist NPA.

Meanwhile, different human rights advocates have already started condemning the CPP-NPA-NDF with their consistent violation of the terrorist human rights and international humanitarian law.

Some groups who are greatly dismayed with how the terrorist advances their so called revolutionary struggles are now calling out for mobilization to stand firm against these terrorist in support to the lamentation of the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers.

The remains of the ten (10) gallant men of the Army’s 63^rd Infantry Battalion lie in state at St Francis Chapel, Camp Sumoroy, Brgy Dalakit, Catarman, Northern Samar.

“These soldiers died a glorious death for God, country and people. They fought it out to the last and they have won over evil. They have won in protecting you… For you to continue enjoying the fruit of democracy and freedom,” says Major General Chan.

He further call upon the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) that monitors the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) to look after the incident and let the culprits be charged with the full force of the law as deemed necessary to include all other CARHRIHL violations of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

The human rights groups in Northern Samar also call to translate our silence to a loud voice of support to the heroism of these soldiers and of all of the victims of the NPA’s human rights violation. They are also calling to denounce and condemn the CPP-NPA-NDF and to make a firm stand for the sake of our children and our children’s children. ###