The people of Negros Oriental especially the families of the victims of the relentless bloody Oplan Sauron are very happy for the victorious tactical offensives mounted by the NPA Mount Cansermon Command against the AFP/PNP forces. Last June 22, 2019, 11:00 in the evening at Sitio Cambugtong, Brgy. Bantolinao, Manjuyod, Negros Oriental the NPA-MCC ambushed combined troops of the 94th IBPA and 704th RMFB. The skirmish lasted for an hour and 40 minutes after the NPA set off command detonated explosives (CDX) on rampaging troops of the AFP and PNP. This resulted to 20 KIA from the fascist troops and others were wounded.

Cpl. Leoter Cagape, killed-in-action, and wounded PFC Emmanuel Paja and Pvt. Deny Reyes who were acknowledged by the 94th IBPA through Brig. Gen. Ignacio Madriaga, 302nd Infantry Brigade commander, were only some of the 20 casualties of the reactionary AFP in the legitimate NPA ambush. The 94th IBPA did not divulge all their casualties to avoid demoralization among their ranks. On the other hand, the NPA-MCC did not incur any casualty and its unit was in high spirits after responding to the resounding call of the people for justice for the victims of Duterte’s martial law/Oplan Sauron in the countrysides.

Civic-military operations like medical missions organized by the departments of the reactionary government and the AFP/PNP are but schemes and coverups. These are part of the enemy’s intelligence operations that are soon followed by combat operations that spread terror in the countrysides under Oplan Kapayapaan/Oplan Kapanatagan and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Conflict or EO 70.

On the early morning of June 22, 2019, before the ambush of AFP and PNP troops, a sniping operation was executed at sitio Bulo, Brgy. Bantolinao, Manjuyod. It resulted to three casualties from the aforementioned reactionary troops.

The NPA again successfully ambushed the 11th IBPA troops who were conducting pursuit operations on July 2, 2019 at Sitio Samak Gamay, Brgy. Nalundan, Bindoy, Negros Oriental at 4:30 in the afternoon. The firefight lasted for more than an hour. Five 11th IBPA troops were KIA while the NPA did not sustain any casualties.

In the three successive offensives of the NPA in Manjuyod and Bindoy, Negros Oriental, the 94th IBPA, 11th IBPA and troops of the 704th RMFBn suffered a total of 28 casualties.

The AFP and PNP are fascist dogs and liars. Daybreak after the defeat of their troops, the reinforcements from the 11th IBPA desperately captured and shot-to-death a mentally ill farmer and declared him as an NPA casualty. Also, ordinary citizens and residents of Brgy. Lamugong, Manjuyod, Negros Oriental namely Teodore Casido, 49, his wife Rhea Casido, 31, Benan Cadelina, 61, and Danny Casido, 41, were illegally arrested and accused of being NPA members.

The NPA-MCC strongly condemns the continuing Oplan Sauron-like killings and illegal arrests in Central Negros. In their obsession with their failure of chasing the NPA, the AFP/PNP turned their wrath on innocent civilians. On June 26, 2019, the Buenavista 7, locals accused of allegedly being members of the NPA and were involved in the NPA ambush against 62nd IBPA troops in Tan-awan, Kabankalan City last May 2018, were arrested in Himamaylan, Negros Occidental.

To whitewash their defeat against the NPA and coverup their human rights violations, the said troops mercilessly shot-to-death on June 28, 2019 Salvador “Bador” Romano who was a courageous human rights defender of Negros Oriental in Manjuyod.