Tuesday, March 6, 2012

8ID Troops Seize NPA Explosive Factory in Samar

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City – Government troops seized an NPA explosive factory in the hinterlands of the Municipality of Paranas, Samar in the early morning of March 5. While the soldiers performed community work in the barangays of Paranas, some residents informed the soldiers of an existing explosive production facility by the NPA in an area at the boundary of Barangays Santo Nino and Pagsanjan. According to the residents, their safety is threatened by the illegal activity not only because it is illegal but also because the explosives the NPA produce are used to destroy innocent lives and properties.

Guided by concerned residents in the locality, the soldiers reached the vicinity of the suspected camp at about 5am of March 5.

The NPA manning in the camp were caught off-guard with the arrival of the soldiers prompting them to engage in a brief firefight as they escaped. In the course of the armed engagement, Sergeant Freddie C Gusoso was hit at the thigh. The soldiers eventually overran the camp and seized the following war materiel:

• 44 pieces improvised landmines;
• One unit machine for landmine production;
• 20 pieces blasting caps with detonating cords;
• Assorted explosive production paraphernalia;
• One B40 type rocket launcher;
• One improvised round for B40 type rocket launcher;
• One M16 Rifle with SN:189748;

Sergeant Gusoso was safely evacuated to RTR Hospital, Tacloban city for medical treatment.

The soldiers are now investigating the recovered pieces of evidence from the site with the help of the local PNP and the community. With the volume and quality of explosives recovered and the geographic location of Samar Island, Major General Chan, the Commander of 8ID believes that the seized NPA explosive factory has produced landmines for NPA terrorists in the Bicol Region and Northern Mindanao.###

8ID checks on poor electricity service in Samar

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City, Samar – For calendar year 2011, Headquarters 8ID and its units experienced frequent, sudden and unannounced power outages which resulted to the damage of a number of equipment and appliances. When services provided by the Samar II Electric Cooperative Inc. (SAMELCO II) went from bad to worse, MGEN MARIO F CHAN AFP, Commander 8th Infantry Division sent a letter on December 14, 2011 to Honorable Jose Rene D. Almendras, Secretary of the Department of Energy (DOE) requesting the Honorable Secretary to intervene in order to protect consumers’ interests. MGEN CHAN has endeavoured to bring to task those responsible for the poor electricity service in Samar.

Having recognized the merit of the Army unit’s complaint in Samar, Attorney Josefina Patricia M. Asirit, Chief of Staff/Undersecretary of the Department of Energy called the attention of the management of SAMELCO II in a letter sent by the DOE on January 4, 2012. The DOE wanted SAMELCO II to comment on the complaint of poor service lodged by the Army unit.

After more than a month, Engineer Gervacio C. Chavez Jr., OIC-General Manager of SAMELCO II, sent a letter explanation to the DOE on February 21, 2012. SAMELCO II also provided a copy of the same letter to Major General Chan. The letter essentially puts the blame of the poor services and power interruptions on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) when SAMELCO II said “NGCP sustained line fault or NGCP scheduled power interruption”.

It is interesting to note that SAMELCO II accuses the NGCP as the cause of most power interruptions while acknowledging only a smaller share of it. With this, the 8ID is now in the process of seeking an explanation from the NGCP on the veracity of this accusation.

At the end of the day, someone must be held responsible for the poor electricity service and must make up for it. The 8th Infantry Division in its role as a catalyst for development as stipulated in IPSP “Bayanihan” and as one of the biggest electricity consumers in the Province intends to see this done for the benefit of the consumers. ###