The Eastern Mindanao Command slammed the New People’s Army (NPA) after soldiers of the 25th Infantry Battalion recovered 23 landmines in Sitio San Agustin, Barangay New Calape, Montevista, Davao de Oro on Monday.
Lt. Gen. Jose Faustino, Jr., Commander of the EastMinCom, said the NPA knows that the continued use of landmines violates the International Humanitarian Law.
“It is purely barbaric as the damage of such explosives does not discriminate whether the target is a soldier or an innocent child,” he said. “Clearly, this group, who disguises themselves as the people’s army, is nothing but a bunch of terrorists whose main goal is to hold all of us hostage through fear while advancing their self-serving political agenda.”
Lt. Col. Asnawi Muti, 25th IB commander, said a rebel returnee pointed to them the location of the landmine depot. Alias Don used to be a courier for the communist rebels.
Aside from the 23 landmines—three 25-kilo improvised explosive devices, eight 15-kilo IEDs, and twelve 5-kilo IEDs—government authorities also recovered two Garand rifles and 15 pieces of blasting caps.
“We could no longer play deaf on this issue. We have to bring this problem internationally, particularly the UN (United Nations), so the whole world would know the true nature of this terrorist group,” Faustino added.
