EXTREMELY LETHAL. Combined explosive and ordnance (EOD) teams from the 23rd IB and the Philippine National Police Mobile Force Battalion 13 dispose of eight anti-personnel mines and 254 packs of ammonium nitrate on July 17, 2020. The disposal activity was held in a vacant land in Purok 6, Barangay Alubihid, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. (Photo courtesy of 23IB)
BUTUAN CITY – A top official of the Philippine Army emphasized the dangers posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) being planted by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) near human trails in various Agusan del Norte villages.
In a statement on Monday (July 20), Lt. Col. Julius Cesar Paulo, commander of the Army's 23rd Infantry Battalion, pointed out that IEDs are lethal and may kill or maim any villager.
Paulo issued the statement after the 23IB and Philippine National Police explosive and ordnance (EOD) teams disposed of the IEDs and bomb-making materials previously seized by the Army in different areas in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur.
“I witnessed and experienced the blast though I was positioned far from the blast site during the disposal,” Paulo said.
A total of eight anti-personnel mines, 254 packs of ammonium nitrate placed in eleven plastic containers were disposed by the EOD teams last July 17 on a vacant land in Barangay Alubihid, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte.
“Just imagine if one of our soldiers or an ordinary civilian walking to his farm is near the blast site. The damage would be very devastating, and lives will be lost,” Paulo said.
He called on the remaining NPA rebels in the area to surrender and “stop the madness of placing and hiding deadly explosives near the populated areas and human trails”.
“The Communist NPA Terrorists (CNTs) do not adhere to the provisions of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) by doing prohibited explosives which is also a violation of the Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity,” the Army official added.
He said the NPA only exploits the law for propaganda.
“In reality, they do not believe and adhere to these laws as evidenced by the hundreds of landmines and explosives we recovered in villages that greatly endangered the lives of ordinary civilians. The CNTs planted these IEDs anywhere especially on trails commonly used by ordinary residents when going to their farms and villages,” Paulo said.
1Lt. Roel Maglalang, 23IB civil-military operations officer, said in a separate interview Monday that the disposal of the IEDs and bomb-making materials aims to raise awareness on the dangers of explosives "to persons, properties, communities, and most especially to innocent civilians".
“The photos and video we gathered during the disposal will be used as information materials for the communities,” Maglalang said.
Paulo said the recovery of the explosives significantly degraded the capability of the NPA in the area in terms of firepower and techniques, tactics and procedures.
The 23IB commander also recognized the participation of civilians for the recovery of the explosives.
“We express gratitude to the people who bravely contributed to the recovery of those IEDs that cause danger to the public. IEDs are purposely made to inflict casualties to the passing government forces including innocent civilians,” Paulo said. (PNA)
