New Peoples’s Army (NPA) units refuted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reports of encounters with the people’s army in recent weeks. In these fabricated encounters, soldiers squandered funds amid the severe economic crisis now suffered by the Filipino masses.

The NPA-Camarines Sur (Eduardo Olbara Command) exposed the false reports of a supposed encounter in Barangay Pararao, Balatan on April 9. In truth, soldiers fired indiscriminately for 30 minutes and even used two helicopters.

The 79th IB did not have an encounter with the NPA-Northern Negros (Roselyn Jean Pelle Command) in Negros Occidental but staged one using the military’s own units on April 16 in Barangay Minautok, Calatrava. Their own ineptitude wounded one of their soldiers in the drama. The 79th IB then turned its anger on community residents and detained them for several hours, including minors and children.