15 jeep passengers wounded in land mine explosion in Surigao del Sur
text HADER GLANG

At least fifteen people were seriously injured in northern Mindanao on Monday morning when their vehicle ran over a landmine, the military’s Southern Command public information office reported Tuesday.

The land mine went off as the jeep passed through the national highway in sitio Cabariot Cabugi, Unidos, Tago, Surigao del Sur at 8:00 a.m., said Capt. Jose Ritche Pabilonia, Southcom information officer.

All the victims were passengers of the jeep, which was hit by a pressure release landmines planted by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists, Pabilonia said.

Major General Cardozo Luna, chief of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said it was a well planned by the Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front designed to embarrass the government during the State Of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Arroyo.

Luna said from the time the all out war was declared against the communist insurgency, many of the owners of the passenger vehicles who are long NPA's extortion victims, already refused to give the rebels the protection money.

“This is one way of scaring jeepney and bus owners. The Communist Terrorist must have to pay for this,” he said, as he called on the cause oriented groups in the province to surface and help condemn the attack.

“If they are true champions for Human Rights, especially giving help to the civilian innocent victims, then they should assist us to bring justice to these victims,” he added.

Southcom chief Major General Gabriel Habacon charged NPA rebels for violation of the Comprehensive Agreement with Respect to Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, which bans the use of mines.

As this developed, Habacon ordered the Army’s 402nd Brigade and the 58th Infantry Battalion to launch a massive military operations against the NPA rebels.

The communist rebels, who claim to be defending the rights of the poor, have been fighting the government to create a state based on the ideology of Lenin.

Since it was founded, thousands of people have died in attacks and clashes between the guerillas and the government forces. Luzon and Visayas are the group’s stronghold. (ZS)