THE NEW PEOPLE’S Army (NPA)-Northern Samar mounted three successive harassment operations against 20th IB soldiers who have long been wreaking havoc in Barangay San Miguel, Las Navas.

A soldier was killed in a sniping operation mounted by Red fighters against a temporary military encampent in the area on May 9. In retaliation, the soldiers strafed two peasant houses at Zone 7 in the said barangay. Residents were forced to flee because of this. Red fighters fired at the soldiers again that evening.

A day earlier, Red fighters and the people’s militia harassed a military encampment which they constructed just a few meters away from a school. Two soldiers were seriously wounded.

The 20th IB has been conducting Retooled Community Support Program (RCSP) operations in San Miguel and adjacent barrios Perez, Quirino and San Francisco. The unit has not withdrawn its forces even when the Duterte regime declared its ceasefire. Soldiers continue to perpetrate cases of harassment and force civilians and even barangay officials to surrender as members of the NPA. They travel in-and-out of the barrios and approach residents without taking precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 such as wearing face masks or observing physical distancing. They also spearhead gatherings such as the conduct of cockfights.