Press Statement by the 19th Infantry “COMMANDO” Battalion on the 3 civilians killed in crossfire

LT COL FEDERICO J TUTAAN, INF (GSC) PA
Commanding Officer, 19th Infantry “COMMANDO” Battalion
8th Infantry “STORMTROOPERS” Division, Philippine Army
November 17, 2010

KANANGA, Leyte  –  The Energy Development Corporation (EDC), formerly the Philippine National Oil Corporation (PNOC), based in Barangay Tongonan of Ormoc City and Kananga, both of Leyte is once again under threat by the Communist Terrorists in the area. The 19th Infantry Battalion of the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Kananga, Leyte under the command of LT COL FEDERICO J TUTAAN, INF (GSC) PA launched its security and combat operations within the said complex on 14 November 2010 to preempt the hostile plan of the CT’s.

The said operations were in response to intelligence reports received by the unit, and likewise gathered by the EDC Security Division, stating that more or less thirty (30) armed elements of the communist terrorist group were within the vicinity of the complex, planning to conduct sabotage of the EDC facilities. This enemy intent, it was learned, was due to the refusal of the EDC to give “revolutionary taxes” to the communist terrorist group. It would be worthy to note that the EDC and the 19IB have always been in close coordination regarding security matters, particularly threats to the aforementioned facilities.

At 10 o’clock in the morning of November 15th, in the vicinity of the EDC Mahiao Complex, in Barangay Lim-ao, Kananga, Leyte while his troops were conducting observation in the area spotted a group of more or less seven (7) men carrying high powered firearms, later learned to be led by Communist terrorist leader identified as alias Matus. Said personality is known to be the leader of the “advance guard” of the CT’s regional forces. As the troops approached, the said as the CT’s approximately thirty (30) meters away sensed the government forces and immediately fired with fully automatic gun bursts. A fierce exchange of gun fire ensued between the elements of CTs and 19IB which lasted for about ten minutes. Immediately the enemy disengaged from the scene and fled to Northwest direction. The encounter resulted to the undetermined number of CT’s wounded in the gunbattle.

Unfortunately, however, three (3) civilians who were in the area were caught in the crossfire since they were incidentally located within the line of fire. The encounter site was generally a thickly forested and vegetated area and at the time covered with low fog that made the said civilians hardly discernible to the government forces. The victims were identified as Dr. Leonardo Co, an EDC environmental consultant, Sopronio Cortez and Julio Borromeo both EDC regular employees. Said group from EDC were later found to be conducting surveys and studies on the trees and other vegetation in the area when the encounter occurred.

Prior to the incident, the EDC facilities had been planned by the CT’s to be attacked, as what had happened in 2004 wherein several were killed and injured in the sabotage of facilities together with ambush within the road net. Of late, reports have been received and constantly monitored that more or less 30 fully armed CT’s were sighted within the EDC area near the vital installations. This report was confirmed on 12 November 2010 which stated that the CT’s are poised and about to attack the EDC installation in the area. This report triggered the implementation of full combat alert status of all troops of the 19IB as well as the security forces within the EDC compound. Coordination with the EDC Security Department and management was also conducted in connection with the security measures as well as the operations planned by the unit. Axis of advance of the operating troops were carefully identified and well defined and coordinated with the security department of EDC prior to the launching of combat operation.

At present, operating troops are now conducting pursuit operations to the fleeing CT’s which are believed still scattered in the vicinity. Again noteworthy is that more reports have been received in the evening of November 15th that the CT’s are still going to push through with their plans to sabotage the EDC facilities. Hence, all forces are on offensive and defensive alert.

The 19th Infantry Battalion feels remorseful of the unfortunate incident, and particularly sympathetic for the loss of lives, and condole with their families.

PAST EVENTS

Last July 12, 2010, the troops of 19IB encountered a group of more or less 30 CT’s within the EDC Complex and a few days later, the pursuit operations led to the discovery of two enemy encampments in the area. The bigger enemy encampment is believed to be the base of the Regional Guerilla Unit of the CPP/NPA while the other served as its satellite base.

On October 1, 2010 elements of 19IB found and discovered a terrain model made by the CT’s about a kilometer down slope from the EDC Rig 14, its newest and most expensive project so far, costing more than a billion pesos to undertake. The terrain model was a good and impressively accurate model of the Rig 14, which the enemy would use to conduct their planning and briefing prior to attacking the rig. Intelligence later revealed that the enemy plans were thwarted by the discovery of their terrain model.