Military Reports on NPA Casualties in Bulacan Encounter: Figments of the Military's Imagination

Jose Agtalon
Spokesperson
Josepino Corpuz Commmand
Central Luzon
March 31, 2003

The NOLCOM is at it again, concocting casualty figures in what the Army's 7th ID called the "longest on-and-off running gunbattle so far" between the NPA and elements of the 305th and 306th PMG and the 56th IB PA last Saturday, March 29. Military reports released by NOLCOM stated that "18 NPA rebels" were killed in the intermittent armed clashes that lasted for 15 hours.

Two NPA Red fighters emerged as martyrs in the said gunbattle. We are concerned that the rest of those reported killed might have been civilians caught in the crossfire. This is most likely to happen with the government side using a vast array of personnel and war equipment in the battle: the 305th and 306th PMG, augmented by the 56th IB PA and three B150 armored personnel carriers (APC).

In the same gunbattle, the NPA was able to seize 6 high-power rifles from the government troops. The Red fighters, likewise, were able to escape the encirclement, and later on pursuit, by the government troops, despite the overwhelmingly large number of the PMG and Army personnel. To be able to do both, the NPA must have mass support contrary to what the military wanted to project: that the attack on the NPA unit was made possible through the effort and cooperation by the people with the military.

The NOLCOM seems to have developed the habit of bloating NPA casualties and toning down government losses in encounters involving the NPA and the MILF. In the armed encounters that took place in the Zambales-Tarlac border on February 1 this year, the NOLCOM claimed only two Army soldiers killed and five others wounded while the NPA rebels suffered 'heavy casualties' with 18 rebels killed. This is exactly the opposite of what really transpired in the two successive gunbattles within a day, where the second one lasted for five hours. Only one Red fighter was martyred while scores of Army soldiers were killed and wounded. In the first firefight alone that started at 9:30 am, 8 Army soldiers were killed and several others wounded. The NOLCOM then had to clamp down on media to avoid the leakage of the real story in that gunfight. That would have been bad publicity for the new NOLCOM Chief, Gen. xDominguez of the infamous Lamitan fiasco in Basilan. Ask any 24th IB or 69th IB soldier who was at the frontline in that encounter and he would give you a sad demoralizing tale of a mercenary soldier.

NOLCOM's propaganda concoctions include passing off a band of criminals who were killed by soldiers in a rub-out operation as NPA rebels in Bgy. Gandus, Mexico, Pampanga in October 6 last year; misrepresenting the misencounter between elements of the 69th IB and the Bantay Bayan of Brgy Sn Jose, Magalang Pampanga as an encounter between the NPA and the AFP in Brgy Bical, Mabalacat in October 10; claiming the successful tactical operation against the "RHB" by the NPA as the "successful operation" by the 69th IB on the "RHB" on November 9, also of last year.

The Philippine military has made it a policy to cover up military losses in the battlefield and project itself as capable of winning the war. It must be a severe case of paranoia and a sense of hopelessness engulfing the Philippine military establishment in the light of its losing fate in the counterrevolutionary war.###

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