(File photo)
MANILA – State prosecutors indicted 11 communist New People's Army (NPA) members on terrorism raps, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday.
In a statement, the DOJ identified the suspects as Jovito Marquez, Antonio Baculo, Sonny Rogelio, Veginia Terrobias, Lena Gumpad, Job David, Jessie Almoguera, Reina Grace, Bethro Zapra Jr., Daisylyn Malucon and Yvann Zuniga.
The 11 NPA members were charged for their part in the ambush on Philippine Army soldiers in Barangay Malisbong, Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro on May 30, 2023.
While there were no casualties in the attack, the DOJ said prosecutors characterized it as an act of terrorism.
“The intent behind the ambush was deemed to cause death, serious injury, and to instill a widespread atmosphere of fear, thereby destabilizing the fundamental political, economic, and social structures of the Philippines,” the DOJ said.
Separate charges of unlawful possession of firearms were earlier dismissed due to lack of probable cause as well as charges for war crimes under Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide, and Other Crimes Against Humanity of 2009.
No place to hide now
The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the DOJ's move shows that the insurgents have no more place to hide.
"The NTF-ELCAC commends the DOJ for its recommendation to file anti-terrorism charges against 11 alleged members of the NPA (New People's Army)," the body said in a Facebook post Tuesday night.
These communist rebels were involved in the ambush of government troops in May 2023 at Barangay Malisbong in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro.
The task force added that the move also highlights government efforts to track down insurgents involved in atrocities. (with Priam Nepomuceno/PNA)
