Reds apologize for deadly Compostela ambush

Communist rebels based in Mindanao apologized profusely to the Department of Education and the Commission on Elections Wednesday for the killing of an election official and at least five others in an ambush in Compostela Valley province Tuesday. National Democratic Front Mindanao spokesman Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos said an investigation is now underway on the New People’s Army unit that conducted the deadly ambush. "We are not justifying this. Nais namin ipaalam sa lahat ng biktima lalo sa civilian di intended yan para ambush-in ang mga personnel na nagma-man ng precinct (We are not justifying this. We want the victims to know we did not intend to ambush the civilians, especially the election officials)," Madlos said in an interview on dzXL radio. "Humihingi kami ng paumanhin sa Department of Education [at sa] Comelec. Hindi namin ginusto ang nangyari. Inaako namin ang responsibility at gagawin namin ang dapat gawin lalo sa pag-imbestiga sa pangyayari (We ask the forgiveness of the Department of Education and the Commission on Elections. We did not wish this to happen. We accept full responsibility and will do everything starting with an investigation)," he added. Killed in the ambush were four government soldiers, a board of election inspector, and a poll watcher, according to the Armed Forces’ Task Force Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections. [See: 6 dead, 12 hurt in attack on election convoy in ComVal] Wounded in the attack near Sitio Manga in Mahayhay village in Maragusan town were at least nine soldiers and three poll watchers. Reds accept condemnation The military said the victims were on their way to bring back election paraphernalia to Poblacion Maragusan for canvassing. Madlos said that while the NPA did not know the military unit they attacked was engaged in an election-related activity, it accepts full responsibility. He said the NPA had mistaken the military escorts for a military unit involved in an alleged human rights violation. "Nais namin aminin at lahat na condemnation ay tinatanggap namin. Anyway ang unang hakbang namin kaagad pinaimbestiga ang sirkumstansya. Pina-contact namin ang pamilya ng civilians na biktima, mukhang magkaroon ng kaunting tulong sa pamilya. Ang tulong di makabawi ng namatay," Madlos said. (We accept full responsibility and condemnation for what happened. We have started an investigation and contacted the families of the victims to offer some assistance, although we know it will not bring their loved ones back.) Lack of intelligence? Madlos said the ambush stemmed from a lack of intelligence gathering. He insisted the NPA had no intention of disrupting the elections, saying the NDF had instructed all NPAs not to take any action that will do so. "Kulang ng intelligence-gathering. Wala kaming intention guluhin ang election (There was a lack of intelligence-gathering. We never intended to disrupt the elections)," he said. — RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV