Cotabato villagers flee homes due to tension between Army, NPA rebels

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Some 200 families from two villages in Magpet town in North Cotabato have refused to return to their homes due to tension between government forces and communist guerilas there. The evacuees are staying in barangay halls and other government facilities in the villages of Manobo and Kinarom for fear of being caught in the crossfire once they return home. Many have sought shelter from their relatives. On Tuesday, the local government of Magpet distributed food and relief items to the evacuees. On Saturday, four soldiers were wounded when they encountered some 30 fully-armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in the hinterlands of Barangay Manobo. The guerrillas were led by a certain Kumander Ponyong of Guerilla Front 53 of the NPA Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command, according to military reports. Soldiers from the Army’s 57th Infantry Battalion and the 6th Division Reconnaissance Company continued to launch ground assault in areas they considered highly influenced by the rebels until Monday. Magpet Mayor Efren Piñol said the town’s ambulances would be available to carry wounded soldiers, including rebels, to the nearest hospital for treatment. – Malu Cadelina Manar/KBK, GMA News