More MisOr towns urged to declare NPA 'persona non grata'

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is urging more towns in Misamis Oriental province to declare the communist New People’s Army (NPA) as "persona non grata" following an attack on a private firm in Balingasag town on Monday.

A press release from the Army's 403rd Infantry Brigade (403IB) said the NPA attack occurred on a quarry site operated by power producer Mindanao Energy Systems, Inc. (Minergy) in Balingasag at about 6:30 a.m.

The Army said the rebels fired at the firm's security personnel and forcibly took five firearms.

Police Col. Robert Bahian, the provincial police director, has already ordered his men to pursue the rebels involved in the attack.

Brig. Gen. Edgardo de Leon, 403IB commander, denounced the attack on a civilian facility as another "NPA violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

"The NPA, as a non-state armed group, deliberately attacked an ‘undefended area’, as it is not a military compound. The people they attacked are civilians who have no direct participation in the armed insurgency conflict because they are plain civilian security guards. The NPA (rebels) did not distinguish civilians from combatants, which is a clear disrespect (for) humanitarian law," de Leon said.

Another IHL ground, he said, related to the civilian-owned firearms the rebels carted away, as well as the NPA's deception in disguising themselves as "security inspectors" to gain access and disarm the company's security guards.

In attacking civilian properties, he said the NPA has justified the "persona non-grata" being declared against it by communities and local government units.

De Leon called on more communities and local government units in Misamis Oriental to declare the communist rebel movement as "persona non-grata" or unacceptable.

Earlier, Northern Mindanao's Regional Peace and Order Council denounced the NPA for its "terrorist actions" in attacking civilians and destroying civilian properties.

"No less then Archbishop Antonio Ledesma of the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro supported the resolution, which aims to protect civilians from being subject of attack," the 403IB said in the statement.

The Bukidnon Peace and Order Council also passed a similar resolution last June. (PNA)