Communist Terrorists Ambush Soldier-Community Workers in Eastern Samar

Camp Lukban, Catbalogan City – In response to the request for law enforcement assistance from the Regional Trial Court Branch III of Guiuan to secure confiscated illegally-mined Chromite minerals, a military escort team of the 43rd Infantry Battalion in Eastern Samar on board a military vehicle was ambushed by about thirty communist terrorists yesterday at about 8:00pm at the vicinity of Barangay Antipolo in the Municipality of Llorente in Eastern Samar. The military vehicle was damaged when communist terrorists detonated the four (4) landmines they planted along the road. The soldiers fought back and bravely held their ground for about an hour until the perpetrators were repelled causing them to retreat with a number of casualties. One soldier, however, Private First Class Erwin G Ocenada, a native of Paranas, Western Samar was killed in the incident. Seven soldiers were wounded as well but only three remain under treatment at a hospital in the City of Borongan.

Eastern Samar has been recently featured in the media in relation to illegal mining activities. Along with other illegal sources of livelihood in the area, the illegal mining activities have been under the protection of communist terrorists who directly exact their share through extortion.

Aside from protecting illegal mining activities in Eastern Samar, the terrorists protect illegal logging and quarrying activities in Western Samar. In September last year, the terrorists ransacked the Municipal Police Station of Hinabangan in Western Samar after the local PNP intensified its anti-illegal logging operations and confiscation of illegally-cut logs. ###